The surge in solar generation is underpinned by the commissioning of new photovoltaic parks, removal of barriers for stalled projects, and favorable hydrological conditions that reduced thermal power dependency. Colombia currently has nearly 4 GW of clean energy capacity from solar, wind, and small hydroelectric plants. Solar accounts for more than 80% of this clean energy portfolio with an installed capacity of approximately 3,988 MW, followed by wind (41 MW) and small hydro (32 MW). Hydropower remains the largest share of the energy matrix at 56.22%, while thermal sources constitute around 26.5%.
Key large-scale solar projects include the Guayepo park in Atlántico (370 MW operational), Puerta de Oro in Cundinamarca (300 MW in testing), and others distributed across multiple departments, demonstrating geographic diversification aligned with resource availability. The government’s regulatory framework, including upcoming long-term renewable energy auctions designed for contracts up to 15 years, is supporting further scaling of solar capacity while providing investor certainty.
President Gustavo Petro highlighted this accomplishment as part of a broader energy transition aiming to reduce fossil fuel use and expand renewables, with plans to eventually surpass generation from gas and petroleum liquids. Discussions have also been initiated around incorporating nuclear, geothermal, and wind energy into the future energy mix. The accelerated adoption of solar power contributes to significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, estimated at around 7 million tons CO2 equivalent, and enhances Colombia’s energy security amid global energy market volatility.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
