The Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE) participated in the event “Data Centers and Energy in the Andes: Reliability and Mapping of Supply and Demand”, organized by the Institute of the Americas in Santiago, Chile. The meeting brought together leaders from the private sector, governments, and NGOs to analyze the challenges and opportunities of the growing data center market in the Andean region, with an emphasis on reliability, energy supply and demand, to ensure sustainable development.
The event featured OLADE’s participation and aimed to generate knowledge to strengthen regulation and promote a sustainable energy transition in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Key topics addressed included:
• Growth of the data center market: The sector in Latin America is experiencing rapid growth, with investments expected to continue increasing.
• Sustainability and renewable energy: The need to ensure that this expansion takes place sustainably, as reflected in Microsoft’s commitment to operate its data centers with 100% renewable energy.
• Energy regulation: The urgency of updating regulatory frameworks to accompany the transformation of electricity systems and the incorporation of new technologies.
• Development and energy transition: OLADE’s role in strengthening capacities, generating knowledge, and promoting regulations that foster regional sustainability.
During his intervention, Fitzgerald Cantero, OLADE’s Director of Studies, Projects, and Information, highlighted that data centers have become indispensable infrastructure for the digital economy. He noted that in Latin America and the Caribbean, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina account for 78% of the region’s data centers, and projections estimate that by 2035 their consumption will represent 5% of the region’s electricity demand.
Cantero stressed that attracting investment, energy integration, and technical training will be decisive factors in turning this trend into an inclusive, sustainable, and resilient energy transition.
