The Ecuador 2025 Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Seminar was the setting for an important technical analysis of the national and regional energy situation. Representing the Latin American and Caribbean Energy Organization (OLACDE), Fitzgerald Cantero Piali, Director of Studies, Projects and Information, addressed the challenges of the energy transition and the urgent need to diversify and integrate renewable sources into electrical systems.
“The hypothesis on the table is that there was a large amount of renewable energy injected into the system at the same time, and that instability in the grid may have caused the massive blackout we all witnessed. No one in the world is exempt from this,” warned Cantero, referring to recent power outage events in the region.
During his presentation, he shared key data showing the low level of utilization of the region’s available energy potential. In Ecuador, only 24% of hydroelectric potential is used, along with 0.24% of solar resources and 1.8% of wind capacity. This pattern is repeated at the regional level, where only 1.7% of solar potential (out of an estimated 4,800 GW) and 15.7% of wind potential (66 of 420 GW) are being harnessed.
“This reflects the enormous development potential our region has in renewable energy,” he pointed out. Although more than 70% of Ecuador’s installed capacity already comes from renewable sources, there is still significant room for sustained growth. Achieving this requires long-term energy planning, solid regulatory frameworks, and adequate financial resources.
This regional commitment is framed within the RELAC 2030 goal, which seeks to achieve 63% renewable installed capacity and 80% clean electricity generation in Latin America and the Caribbean.
