The Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE) participated in the VII Meeting of Ministers of Energy of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), held in Bogotá, Colombia. The event brought together energy authorities from across the continent to strengthen regional consensus around a fair and sustainable energy transition.
During the meeting, OLADE’s Executive Secretary, Andrés Rebolledo, emphasized that the energy transition in Latin America and the Caribbean must be built collectively through regional cooperation, technical dialogue, political will, and recognition of the diversity of energy matrices and national contexts.
“Latin America and the Caribbean is a privileged region with vast energy resources, but also with great diversity. That is why at OLADE we speak of energy transitions in plural,” Rebolledo stated.
He highlighted that 70% of the region’s electricity already comes from clean sources, yet there remains significant untapped potential: only 10% of wind resources, 30% of hydropower, and just 2% of solar and geothermal potential have been utilized. In addition, the region contributes 27% of global biofuel production, 5% of natural gas, and 10% of oil.
In his remarks, Rebolledo stressed that the key challenge is to transform this energy wealth into social inclusion, job creation, economic development, and climate resilience, through the design of sound public policies, stable regulatory frameworks, sustained investment, a balanced public-private approach, the inclusion of women and youth, and a more coordinated regional energy governance.
He also reaffirmed the importance of maintaining technical and political continuity within CELAC, acknowledging the progress made during Honduras’ Pro Tempore Presidency, and highlighted that this VII Meeting is a valuable opportunity to consolidate a shared vision for the region’s energy future.
“The energy transition is no longer just an aspiration it has become an urgent necessity,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Colombia’s Minister of Mines and Energy, Edwin Palma, reiterated his country’s commitment to transforming the energy sector, highlighting initiatives such as the “Colombia Solar” program, which will allocate USD 250 million in 2026 to provide photovoltaic solutions to vulnerable households.
The meeting was organized by Colombia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy, in its capacity as Pro Tempore Presidency of CELAC, with the technical support of OLADE as CELAC’s Energy Executive Secretariat. One of the main outcomes was the consensus on the need to accelerate regional power interconnection processes and advance toward a unified Latin American energy market.
