Leaders, specialists, and international organizations gathered at GEOLAC 2026, the leading meeting point for Latin America and the Caribbean’s geothermal market, co-organized by the World Bank and ESMAP. The event brought together more than 250 sector professionals with the goal of driving the development and bankability of geothermal projects in the region.
At this gathering, Gastón Siroit, Technical Advisor at the Latin American and Caribbean Energy Organization (OLACDE), took part in the panel “How do we unlock Early Stage Finance for LAC Geothermal? The Path to Bankability,” where he emphasized the importance of strengthening regional coordination and providing direct support to countries to advance the early stages of geothermal financing.
During his remarks, he noted that OLACDE supports national decisions through annual formal requests, promoting regional working groups that comprehensively address financing, knowledge generation, and spaces for technical exchange among countries.
He also emphasized that the Organization maintains a technologically neutral stance and an approach focused on a just energy transition, highlighting the strategic role of geothermal energy as a firm power source for electricity systems. In this context, he stressed the need to explore multiple storage solutions beyond batteries, as part of a comprehensive approach to strengthening the reliability and resilience of the energy system.
Finally, he invited countries and sector stakeholders to strengthen regional cooperation, support one another, and replicate successful experiences, in order to expand investment opportunities, accelerate the development of geothermal projects, and consolidate this technology’s contribution to the energy transition process in Latin America and the Caribbean.
