UPME reveals the lessons learned after overcoming the most critical stage of "El Niño"

As this publication had previously reported, records from the week of May 14 indicated that water inflows for that month averaged 300.04 GWh/day, increasing the usable volume of the national reservoir. Given these figures, the Colombian government asserted that the energy sector had overcome the most critical phase of the 2023-2024 El Niño phenomenon and that the current state of the system does not warrant any alarm. However, this year the El Niño phenomenon generated severe stress in the market due to reduced energy supply caused by the lack of rain and increased energy demand due to high temperatures, which forced authorities to implement temporary measures to guarantee electricity supply and prevent energy rationing. In an exclusive interview with Energía Estratégica, Carlos Adrián Correa Flórez, director of the Mining and Energy Planning Unit (UPME) , provides a detailed analysis of the current situation and reveals the lessons learned after overcoming the climatic phenomenon in order to be prepared to face the upcoming dry seasons. Finally, the most critical stage of El Niño has passed. What is the assessment of this period, and how are you preparing for the next dry season? The major lesson this El Niño phenomenon taught us is the need to advance in diversifying our energy mix to reduce hydroelectric dependence through the adoption and penetration of renewable energies. If we continue on this path, the next El Niño phenomenon could put us in serious trouble. This should have been done 15 years ago, but it wasn't, and now we must accelerate the energy transition.

We must replicate the efforts to adopt these types of technologies. We were able to successfully overcome this El Niño phenomenon , which was quite atypical because the weather events put us to the test.

Indeed, both oceans warmed up, which had never happened before and made it difficult for models to predict.

However, the entire institutional framework was operational from March of last year, and we were able to manage this phenomenon quite effectively, without reaching red or orange alert levels. The concern now is the next El Niño event: we must have a highly diversified energy mix to reduce our dependence on hydroelectric sources.

If the world is focused on reducing thermal power sources, Colombia cannot be focused on expanding them. How is the plan for allocating renewable energy to the electrical grid progressing, under Resolution 075? We are not satisfied with Resolution 075 because it failed to resolve the problem of speculation surrounding connection points .

It is critical that we have not solved this problem in a country that is seeking to accelerate the energy transition.

It wasn't due to ill intentions on the part of whoever drafted the resolution in 2021, but we're in a situation where Resolution 075 doesn't allow for the rapid development of projects. We need the allocation process to select the projects that will bring the most benefits to the system in the shortest possible time and to implement them where the country needs them, using the necessary technologies.

Solve problems instead of making them worse.

We have requested adjustments to this resolution and the creation of mechanisms to accelerate the energy transition. How is the Just Energy Transition plan progressing? What actions are being taken to resolve community conflicts in order to carry out projects in La Guajira? We have been developing this plan with La Guajira since 2022.

The ANLA has a strategy with professionals who are on the ground negotiating to close the prior consultations.

Thanks to this strategy, a much more fluid dialogue has developed in the region, and projects like the Colectora project have been finalized. Permits for the licensing and construction of power lines for wind farms in the region are also progressing. Indeed, I want to clarify that the Colectora expansion plan is moving forward steadily. The project has two sections: Colectora Cuestecitas and Cuestecitas La Loma.

The Cuestecitas La Loma section is already under construction, with 40% completion and the towers being installed. The collector road is not stalled; it's progressing and will be finished in the second half of next year. For the other Cuestecitas collector road section, we are awaiting environmental approval from ANLA , and the agency is expected to issue a decision in the coming weeks.

Once the environmental license is obtained, construction takes 100 weeks.