Colombia moves to ease entry for power project developers

Colombia's energy planning agency UPME has proposed new rules to streamline the registration of electricity generation projects operating in the national interconnected system.

The revised regulatory framework would replace and unify previous regulations, introducing clearer criteria and procedures to classify and register projects across three distinct stages: pre-feasibility, feasibility and detailed engineering.

The measure, outlined in a draft resolution, aims to improve oversight and decision-making related to national energy planning, while reducing regulatory fragmentation.

Under the proposed rules, project developers – whether public, private, domestic or foreign – must submit progressively detailed technical, legal, environmental and financial documentation depending on the development stage of their project. 

"The objective is to establish the procedures, requirements and other aspects necessary for registering generation, cogeneration, self-generation, remote self-generation, distributed generation and other projects with UPME," the document reads. 

The framework is designed to ensure transparency, facilitate coexistence with mining and energy activities and avoid territorial conflicts through mandatory mapping and institutional coordination, UPME said. 

Registration would occur exclusively through a digital platform managed by UPME, with timelines and conditions specified for document validation, review and certification. 

Each stage of registration would carry a defined validity period: two years for pre-feasibility, one year for feasibility, and one year or until construction starts for detailed engineering – with the option of renewal if conditions remain unchanged.

Projects found to be incomplete, duplicative or noncompliant would be rejected or archived. If the resolution is adopted, developers with previously registered projects will have three months to revalidate their filings under the new criteria, or their certifications will expire. 

"The information provided through this registry will serve as input for various analyses within the framework of the planning functions that assist UPME," the draft resolution said. 

More information, in Spanish, can be seen here.