As part of the Pro Tempore Presidency of the Brasilia Consensus, held by the Republic of Ecuador, the main progress and work plan of the energy pillar were presented, aligned with the commitments adopted in the Quito Declaration and the lines of action agreed upon in Bogotá (2024).
This strategic vision seeks to consolidate regional energy integration, particularly in the electricity sector, with the firm goal of achieving South American energy autonomy in the near future. To this end, the plan calls for implementing public policies that strengthen energy sovereignty and ensure a reliable, efficient, and quality electricity supply for all citizens.
The Brasilia Consensus recognizes that energy integration must go hand in hand with joint efforts to increase energy efficiency, expand access and coverage, and encourage technological innovation in shared infrastructure.
With the technical support of the Latin American and Caribbean Energy Organization (OLACDE), acting as Technical Secretariat, three strategic pillars have been identified to advance in this area:
- Regional electricity interconnection: The need to harmonize regulatory frameworks and move toward a regional electricity market resilient to climate variability was addressed.
- Energy integration: The role of natural gas as a backup source for a clean energy transition was highlighted, as was the importance of having shared, stable infrastructure.
- Joint energy information: Colombia’s proposal to create a regional platform with georeferenced data, enabling strategic decisions based on climate, hydrological, and energy infrastructure information, was welcomed with interest.
The meeting was attended by the Vice Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Fabián Calero, and the Undersecretary for Latin America and the Caribbean at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Santiago Apunte, who shared the guidelines and priorities that Ecuador will pursue during its leadership of the energy pillar, which runs through July of this year.
For his part, Calero emphasized that the main objective is to work toward regional energy autonomy that guarantees access to a reliable, efficient, and quality electricity service for all citizens.
Gloria Alvarenga, OLACDE’s Director of Integration, Access, and Energy Security, presented the results of the technical work the Organization has been carrying out with financial support from the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF).
All of these efforts converge on a common goal: building an integrated, sustainable, and resilient regional energy system that allows South America to position itself strategically within the new global energy order.
