Generators will be prevented from exporting energy if they dont agree on a price for the country similar to the regional reference electricity price.
An article on Laprensa.hn reports that the new president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández, has said they have still "not reached an agreement with the thermal utilities companies who supply power to the country.
An estimated $42 million of investment will be made by the 35 companies generating photovoltaic energy using biogas and hydro.
The Superintendency of Electricity and Telecommunications (SIGET) has awarded 15 MW of renewable energy. About 35 companies will generate photovoltaics based on biogas and hydropower, about $1.2 million will be invested in each project.
In the second half of 2013 Guatemala exported to Central America 378% more energy than in the same period of the previous year.
According to the National Energy Commission (CNEE) between July and December 2013 Guatemala exported to Central America 450.9 gigawatt hours (GWh), while in the same period of 2012 the figure was 94.5 GWh, in other words there was a 378% increase.
The bidding rules have been published for the supply of 100 MW of power and associated energy generated from renewable resources with a 20-year contract term.
From information published by Delsur:
Call for participation in International Public Tender No. DELSUR-CLP-RNV-001-2013 for the supply of 100 MW of power to be installed using wind and photovoltaic technology and associated energy for a period of 20 years.
From November 27th to 29th electricity companies from Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua will take part in the International Fair for Electricity Industry (FISE) 2013 in Colombia.
The fifth version of the show which will feature goods and services such as transformers, engineering works, bulbs for public lighting and other things, will be held in Medellin.
Guatemala is the most interested country in speeding up regulation establishing the model of firm contracts within the regional electricity market.
This was explained by Guatemalan Vice Minister of energy, Edwin Rodas.
The idea of this is to harness the Electrical Interconnection System for Central America (Siepac) not only for the sale of energy to other countries, but also to provide telecommunications services over optical fibers which these lines have.
Interested parties have until 31 October to submit the terms of the tendering procedure to the Superintendency of Electricity and Telecommunications.
According to the calendar of the Superintendency of Electricity and Telecommunications (SIGET) on January 9, 2014 the winner of the tender will be announced.
To date about 78 companies have purchased the bidding documents for the project to generate 15 megawatts from renewable resources.
More than 70 investors have acquired the rules for the tender aimed at generating energy on a small scale.
"So far we have registered over 70 projects, and this could mean we end up with double the amount of supply we would have had based on the projections of 15 MW. In the end this is going to open a gap enabling the entry of renewable energy into the mix," said Carlos Najera, head of Renewable Energy at Consejo Nacional de Energía (CNE).
Small scale power facilities will be allowed to bid in a tender to provide 15 MW of renewable energy.
The Superintendency of Electricity and Telecommunications (Siget), the National Energy Council (CNE) and electricity distribution companies announced the provisions and requirements for developers who generate up to 1,000 kW to connect to the network of distributors and deliver energy.
The Electrical Interconnection System for Central American countries will be a decisive factor in reducing the cost of electricity at the regional level.
According to Ibrán Bueso, a legal advisor for the National Electricity Company (ENEE) in energy, one of the objectives of consolidation of the Electric Interconnection System for Central American Countries (Siepac) is to strengthen the competitiveness of the region by reducing its energy costs.
Mexico and Colombia could be the next countries to be incorporated into the Electrical Interconnection System for Central American Countries.
The issue will be discussed during a three-day meeting which Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, countries associated with the Electric Interconnection System for Central American Countries, (Siepac), will have this week.
On June 1 the Regional Electricity Market Rules and the Supplementary Detailed Procedure Electrical Interconnection System for Central America became effective.
"It's a big step forward for electrical integration. These are rules designed to operate the SIEPAC line and power transmission capacity between countries with greater intensity," said the executive director of the Regional Operating Agency (EOR), Rene Gonzalez.
Report of technical and commercial management of the Regional Operating Agency in December 2011.
The Regional Operating Agency (EOR in Spanish) is responsible for "leading and coordinating the operation of the Regional Electricity System (SER in Spanish) and administrating the Regional Electricity Market (MER in Spanish), with transparency and excellence, according to the Regional Regulations."
Works on the Central American Electricity Interconnection System (SIEPAC in Spanish) are reported to be 95% complete, and are expected to be operational in March 2012.
At a cost of $490 million, the interconnection line extends from Guatemala to Panamá, with capacity to transport between 200 and 300 megawatts of electricity.
Teófilo De La Torre, president of the company that owns the network (EPR), stated that "the project will reduce the cost of electricity in the region due to the ability to make sales to other countries, including outside of the region, because Central America became connected with Mexico last year”, reported Notimex.
The regional electric interconnection system will begin this month with the first line between Guatemala and El Salvador.
The project, which will increase transmission and commercialize electricity from Guatemala to Panama, is gradually beginning to take shape.
The first line, 99 miles in length, is in the testing phase and is expected to commence regional commercialization next year, said Guatemala’s Vice Minister of Energy, Minor Lopez.