GE Vernova commits to 1 GW power addition in Venezuela within 24 months under DOE-backed grid recovery plan

The agreement between GE Vernova and Venezuela’s state utility Corpoelec covers thermal and hydroelectric generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure, and substations deemed critical to system recovery. The initiative builds on a cooperation framework established earlier between the two entities and forms part of broader energy accords signed during Wright’s visit, which also included Chevron committing over $7 billion to raise Venezuelan output above 600,000 barrels per day by 2031. GE Vernova’s field operations in Venezuela will require direct hiring of more than 1,000 Venezuelan workers, including electrical, mechanical and electromechanical engineers, turbine maintenance specialists, high-voltage transmission technicians and industrial automation experts. Job postings are appearing on the company’s careers portal and LinkedIn, with emphasis on hydroelectric and thermal system maintenance experience.

Venezuela’s grid crisis intensified in early September with blackouts affecting at least ten states including Caracas, Miranda, Zulia, Táchira, Mérida and Barinas on September 8 and again on September 10. Corpoelec issued no technical explanation for either event. Opposition parties attributed the failures to infrastructure decay, insufficient maintenance and corruption spanning more than a decade, while acting president Delcy Rodríguez claimed sabotage linked to recent energy deals. Sector analysts note that more than half the population lives under power rationing, with provinces experiencing harsher cuts than the capital.

The DOE agreement identifies up to 6 GW of potential capacity additions over six years, but transmission adequacy remains uncertain. Load flow studies, short-circuit analysis, stability verification, contingency planning and protection coordination have yet to be publicly disclosed. Venezuela’s high-voltage transmission corridors must carry large power blocks from generation centers to demand regions, and any capacity increase requires confirmation that lines, transformers, circuit breakers and reactive compensation equipment can handle additional load without exceeding thermal or stability limits. A June 2026 regulatory reform to the Hydrocarbons Law now mandates oil companies, including Chevron, to install dedicated generation and reduce reliance on the national grid where feasible, acknowledging the system’s inability to supply industrial loads reliably.

Venezuelan authorities inspected the Simón Bolívar Hydroelectric Complex at Guri in Bolívar state on September 13, reviewing generator unit operability with Energy Minister Rolando Alcalá and Corpoelec specialists. The Guri complex supplies over 70 percent of Venezuela’s electricity, making operational continuity at the site essential to any grid stabilization effort.