Panama has launched a participatory process to develop the National Energy Plan 2026–2040, a strategic instrument that will guide the country’s energy sector decisions in the coming years. The launch brought together national government authorities, representatives from the private sector, international organizations, academia, and civil society.
The event was attended by the Minister of the Presidency, Juan Carlos Orillac, and the National Secretary of Energy, Rodrigo Rodríguez J., who emphasized the importance of strengthening energy planning through an open process that incorporates contributions from different sectors.
“Panama needs serious energy planning and decisions that can be implemented. That is what this Government is promoting: coordination among institutions and rules that generate confidence for investment,” said the Minister of the Presidency, Juan Carlos Orillac.
During his remarks, Orillac explained that, alongside the launch of the National Energy Plan, the Government is advancing key initiatives in the sector, including electric interconnection projects, the implementation of ethanol, and the energy auction program, aimed at strengthening electricity supply and supporting the country’s energy development.
For his part, the National Secretary of Energy, Rodrigo Rodríguez J., noted that the National Energy Plan 2026–2040 will be developed as a participatory process based on technical information, with the objective of creating a planning instrument that guides decisions regarding infrastructure, supply, and the development of the energy system.
The event also featured the participation of the Executive Secretary of the Latin American and Caribbean Energy Organization (OLACDE), Andrés Rebolledo Smitmans, who shared a regional perspective on the importance of energy planning in a context of profound transformation in the sector.
Rebolledo highlighted that Panama plays a strategic role beyond its own market, thanks to its geographic position, its capacity for regional coordination, and its growing logistics and energy platform.
He also emphasized that countries require state policies capable of anticipating technological changes, integrating renewable energy, energy storage, electric mobility, and new energy vectors such as low-emissions hydrogen, while strengthening regional energy integration as a key resource to improve the security and competitiveness of energy systems.
The plan’s development process will take place over the next 18 months and will include participation spaces for public institutions, the private sector, academia, and civil society organizations. As part of this stage, regional forums will be held in different provinces and comarcas across the country to gather contributions that will inform the diagnosis, scenarios, and priorities of the energy sector.
The National Energy Secretariat indicated that the process will be carried out under a participatory methodology, supported by technical information and monitoring mechanisms, with the aim of producing an implementable plan that strengthens the energy system and contributes to Panama’s sustainable development.
