A new report by the Ministry of Energy and Mines provides detailed statistics on the electricity subsector, the generation matrix for 2011-2016, and data on renewable energy, among other things.
From the Introduction of the report entitled "Guatemala's New Energy Statistics Module", by the Ministry of Energy and Mines:
Instituto Nacional de Electrificación de Guatemala is putting out to tender the maintenance of transmission line structures through means of measuring the physical grounding system.
The company Fersa S.A. has been awarded a contract for three of the five blocks in the tender to expand the electricity transmission network.
Prensalibre.com reports that "...The total contained in the tender was 400 kilometers, of which three of the five blocks were awarded to Fersa.The first will cover the communities of Quiché and will interconnect with San Marcos."
Due to late payments by Salvadoran distributors, generators in Guatemala are reducing sales to the neighboring country and in some cases, suspending them altogether.
As warned by the business sector days ago,the situation in the local electricity market is starting to unravel, as Salvadoran distributors can not meet their obligations to Guatemalan generators due to a delay of of a $53 million payment from the governmentby way of subsidy.
The National Electrification Institute plans to invest $27 million in strengthening generation and electricity transmission systems and improving coverage in five departments.
The goal of the National Electrification Institute (INDE) is to use its own resources of about $2.5 million to improve coverage in the departments of Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Huehuetenango, Izabal and San Marcos.Electricity distribution networks will be built to expand coverage in 26 communities.
Selling energy on the futures and not only on the spot market is the aim of the Guatemalan energy sector, in order to take advantage of local generation capacity.
Changes in the Mexican energymarket and the increased capacity of power generation in Guatemala are the factors that the electricity sector wants to harness in this country and lay a legal foundation for developing a "futures market", through which long-term energy can be sold.
Entrepreneurs in the sector will be meeting in Guatemala City on November 16 to assess alternatives for developing the electricity market in an efficient and competitive manner.
From a statement issued by Agexport:
In order to learn about about different strategic actors, the issues that most impact the National Electricity Market, as well as risks, in order to ensure sustainability, we invite you to participate this November 16, 2016, in a free discussion meeting on the "Electricity Market in Guatemala: Challenges to achieving a more efficient, competitive and sustainable" market.
Negotiations have started to evaluate alternatives for integrating the Mexican electricity market into Siepac.
Salvador Lopez, temporary president of the Electric Interconnection System for Central American Countries (SIEPAC) told Prensalibre.com that in the meeting they will start to assess the legal mechanisms that could be used to realize the integration.
The State of the Region indicates that the asymmetries between the most regulated markets such as Costa Rica and others that are freer such as Guatemala and El Salvador constitute an obstacle to progress of the regional market.
Regional Integration section, the V Report on the State of the Region:
Of the 34,629 GWh generated in 2015 by the countries included in SICA, 68% came from hydropower, 11% from cogeneration in sugar mills, 11% was geothermal, 9% wind and 0.1% based on biogas.
From a report by Cepal entitled "Statistics of electricity production by countries in the Central American Integration System (SICA)":
Average prices for buying and selling on the spot market, quantities by contract and by spot price, amounts of predispatched MWh per hour, per day or for specific periods.
Companies operating under the Law for the Promotion of Export Activities and Maquilas will be able to deduct the VAT paid on electricity.
By presenting a certifying document to the Superintendency of Tax Administration (SAT) exporters will be exempted from paying VAT on their electricity bill, since it is a"... tax benefit according to decrees 29-89 and 19-2016 " explained the lawyer Rodrigo Barillas in an activity organized by Agexport.