The Latin American and Caribbean Energy Organization (OLACDE) took part in the XIII Renewable Energy Conference Peru 2026, a regional forum where the progress, challenges, and opportunities of the energy transition in Latin America and the Caribbean were discussed. Representing the Organization, Fitzgerald Cantero Piali, Director of Studies, Projects and Information, presented on “The role of renewable energy in the energy transition: progress and challenges in Latin America.”
During his presentation, he highlighted the sustained growth of renewable capacity in the region over the past decade, driven mainly by the expansion of hydroelectric, solar, and wind technologies. He noted that, although close to 70% of the region’s electricity generation comes from renewable sources, Latin America and the Caribbean still have significant untapped potential in hydropower, solar, geothermal, and wind energy, positioning the region as a strategic player in the global energy transition.
However, he warned that one of the main current challenges is the need to expand electricity transmission infrastructure and deepen regional energy integration, in order to make efficient use of the clean energy available. In this context, he noted that energy spillage in the region resulted in losses of nearly USD 8.413 billion in 2025, highlighting the urgent need to strengthen energy planning, infrastructure, and regional coordination.
He also highlighted the rapid expansion of electromobility in Latin America and the Caribbean, which grew from 17,541 electric vehicles in 2020 to more than 674,915 in 2025, reflecting a structural shift in the region’s energy consumption. In this regard, he stressed the importance of accelerating the electrification of sectors such as transportation and industry, as well as strengthening public policies, modern regulatory frameworks, and sustained investment that would allow new industries such as green hydrogen to scale up.
Finally, he emphasized that the energy transition in Latin America represents not only a technological and environmental challenge, but also an opportunity for economic development, regional integration, and the reduction of social gaps, insofar as it expands access to energy, generates new value chains, and strengthens the energy security of the region’s countries.
