Venezuela’s interim government under Delcy Rodríguez has formalized agreements with GE Vernova to restore up to 5,000 megawatts of generation capacity over five years, positioning the deal as a critical intervention for a national grid operating well below its 30,000 MW installed capacity against demand of approximately 15,000 MW. The partnership follows weeks of technical assessments by GE teams and aims to deliver 1,000 MW within 24 months through a phased approach combining mobile thermal units and rehabilitation of major generation complexes. Separately, electrical sector unions have publicly denounced their exclusion from bilateral negotiations and demanded participation in funding discussions and legislative reforms opening the sector to private capital.
Leancy Clemente, president of Venezuela’s Nuclear Society and a nuclear engineer, described the GE Vernova agreement as a potential inflection point for the deteriorated national electrical system. The company, restructured under the GE Vernova energy division, brings global expertise in generation, transmission, and distribution alongside technical training programs. Clemente outlined targets of up to 2,000 MW in the short term and approximately 5,000 MW within five years, noting that Venezuela’s installed capacity approaches 30,000 MW but operates far below potential while national demand hovers around 15,000 MW. He emphasized that system failures extend beyond generation to transmission and distribution infrastructure that has lacked comprehensive maintenance for decades, areas where GE Vernova’s integrated approach could prove decisive. Short-term solutions include deploying mobile thermal plants rated between 200 and 250 MW, which could add up to 1,000 MW within six months. Clemente warned that expanding oil production would increase energy demand, creating a critical dependency where petroleum output cannot grow without robust electrical supply while the population faces ongoing rationing.
Orlando Urdaneta, president of the Energy Commission at the Zulia State Engineering Association, endorsed the GE Vernova deal but advocated for expanding participation to Siemens, which manufactured turbines installed at thermoelectric plants including the Termozulia complex. He stated that sustained investment could restore some units in under a year, reducing outages in Zulia, which relies primarily on the Simon Bolivar Hydroelectric Central at Guri. Urdaneta noted that strengthening regional thermal generation using gas resources from the Gulf of Venezuela could position Zulia as a significant energy contributor nationally, though such scenarios require investment timelines approaching ten years.
Electrical sector unions publicly protested exclusion from bilateral negotiations and criticized monthly base salaries of approximately two dollars excluding government bonuses that do not affect collective bargaining benefits. Alexis Rodríguez, general secretary of the Miranda state electrical union, described conditions as preventing dignified subsistence and requested immediate establishment of a technical working group. After receiving no response to formal communications submitted in February and April to Energy Minister Rolando Alcalá, unions warned of escalating actions. Oswaldo Méndez, general secretary in Lara state, reported that work crews have gone nine years without receiving basic uniforms and personal protective equipment, expressing frustration that technical personnel feel marginalized from announcements involving international corporations.
