In the first nine months of 2018, 33 environmental impact studies were presented in the countries of the region to develop energy generating plants and work on electricity grids.
The interactive platform "Construction in Central America", compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData, includes an up to date list of public and private constructionprojects for which environmental impact studies (EIA) were submitted to the respective institutions of each country.
During the first ten months of the year, 72% of the electricity was generated with hydraulic sources, 20% thermal, 5% wind, 2% solar and 1% self-generation.
According to the most recent figures of the General Comptroller's Office of Panama, 917 million kWh were generated in October 2018, which is equivalent to a decrease of 2.3% with respect to the 939 million offered in the same month of 2017.
In El Salvador, twelve renewable energy generation projects with a total capacity of 23 MW are preparing to start operations between 2018 and 2020.
The National Energy Council (CNE) reported that the dozen energy generation projects, which will begin operations in the period between 2018, 2019 and 2020, will have the capacity to supply electricity to 771.350 households in the country.
Because of the increase in energy demand, last year in Guatemala the Electricity Supply and Water Collection sector was the sector that explained the largest increase in the GDP calculation.
Notwithstanding the conflict that has affected the development of several hydroelectric projects, the electricity supply and water collection sector has reported year-on-year increases of more than 4.5% for the 2010-2018 period.
After spending $146 million over six years, Costa Rica's state-owned electricity company finally decided to cancel construction of the Diquis hydroelectric power plant in Puntarenas.
Authorities of the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE), informed that decided to cancel the hydroelectric project due to the fall in national energy consumption and because the country has sufficient installed electricity capacity to meet demand in coming years.
Helium Energy Panama filed a lawsuit against Etesa for non-conformity with the result of a wind energy tender.
Helium Energy Panama, a wind energy generator, filed a lawsuit in the Third Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice against the state-owned Empresa de Transmision Electrica S.A. (Etesa) for more than $50 million.
Since last October 15th, the electricity rates have reported an increase of 8% with respect to the prices of the previous quarter.
The General Superintendence of Electricity and Telecommunications (Siget) informed that among the variables that have influenced the energy price this quarter are a substantial decrease in rainfall last July and the first weeks of August, which affected the reservoir filling of hydroelectric plants, limiting generation based on this type of resource.
Lack of legal certainty, electricity theft and social conflicts are forcing businessmen in Guatemala's energy sector to choose to relocate their investments to El Salvador.
Last year, the companies Applied Energy Services (AES) and Corporación Multi Inversiones (CMI), both US and Guatemalan capital, decided to invest $47 million in solar energy projects, encouraged by the facilities offered to the energy sector in El Salvador.
Due to a group of demonstrators who have taken over the Chixoy hydroelectric facility, there is a risk that in Guatemala electricity service rates will increase by up to 10%.
Since September 25th, a group of people claiming the payment of a complementary compensation has taken over the hydroelectric plant Chixoy, one of the most important in the country, and threatens to set it on fire.
Due to social conflicts and various legal processes, 16 hydroelectric projects have been halted in Guatemala, which together amount to an investment of close to $1.5 billion.
The Association of Generators of Renewable Energy (Ager) reported that power generation projects have been suspended because of conflicts with communities in the zones, consultation processes with indigenous peoples, and orders issued by the Constitutional Court, many of which which have been in response to claims raised by environmental organizations.These projects, for which no light can yet be seen at the end of the tunnel, represent an installed capacity of 460 MW.
In the last ten years the use of renewable energy has doubled in the country, and currently sources of generation of this type represent between 65% and 70% of national consumption.
According to the authorities at the National Electricity Commission (CNEE), the stability that has been achieved in electricity rates and the lower dependence on oil derivatives, is due to the fact that the country is consuming more energy generated through renewable sources.
In Panama, Ingenio Alanje plans to invest $50 million in a sugarcane bagasse-based generation plant, with an installed capacity of 34 MW.
The sugar mill that processes 520,000 tons of cane per year is located in the village of El Tejar, district of Alanje, province of Chiriquí, and is planning to construct a biomass-based power plant, which is expected to be operational by the next harvest, in the summer of 2019.
The electricpower generation plant based on liquefied natural gas has started operating in Colón, Panama, with an installed capacity of 381 MW.
The plant, whose construction beganin May 2016, has three generators, three gas turbines and one steam turbine, giving it a total installed capacity of 381 MW.
In El Salvador, Energía del Pacifico has announced that it has met the requirements to obtain financing, and that it will start construction of the plant in the third quarter of the year.
During the first four months of the year, 64% of electricity was generated from hydraulic sources, 21% from thermal, 10% from wind, 2% from solar and 2% was from self-generation.
According to the most recent figures from the Comptroller General of Panama, in April 2018, 908 million kwh were generated, equivalent to an increase of 3.3% compared to the 879 million supplied in the same month in 2017.
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