In the first three months of 2020, Central American companies bought electric motors and generators abroad for $29 million, 39% less than what was reported for the same period in 2019.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with graph"]
After the National Assembly modified the Law for the Promotion of Electricity Generation with Renewable Sources and its reforms, clean energy generators will be able to negotiate the lowering of current prices and in exchange they will receive five additional years of tax exemption.
The initiative, urgently submitted by President Daniel Ortega, exposes the voluntary negotiation process being carried out with electricity generators from renewable sources for the benefit of the Nicaraguan population and the country's economic sectors, the National Assembly reported.
After power outages were banned, Energuate notified generators that there is a possibility of not paying for all the power they have provided so far.
Weeks ago, Congress approved and published Decree 15-2020, which prohibits cuts in water, electricity, cable TV, telephone and Internet services during the state of calamity and its possible extensions, and which came into effect following the outbreak of covid-19 in the country.
AES Panama announced that during 2020 it will invest in the construction of four photovoltaic parks, which will have an installed capacity of 10 MW each.
The development of the parks that will be located in the provinces of Herrera, Los Santos and Chiriqui, will be in charge of Elecnor S.A., the company to which AES Panama awarded the construction contracts.
Between 2018 and 2019 the energy generated by thermal sources in Panama grew 110%, a rise that contrasts with the 23% drop reported between 2017-2018.
The most recent data from the General Comptroller of Panama, in 2019 11,135 million kwh were generated, which is equivalent to a 3.3% increase over the 10,783 million offered in 2018.
The Ministry of Energy and Mines approved the Rocja Pontila Central hydroelectric project, which will be built on the Icbolay River in Alta Verapaz and will have an installed capacity of 40 megawatts.
The authorization for the hydroelectric plant owned by Proyecto de Desarrollo Integral Pontila, S.A., was issued in Agreement 019-2020 of the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) dated January 13, 2020.
Mainly determined by the performance of the energy supply from thermal sources, between January and November 2018 and the same period in 2019, electricity generation in Panama grew by 3%.
According to the most recent report of the General Comptroller of Panama, 10,173 million kWh were generated in the first eleven months of 2019, which is equivalent to a 3% increase over the 9,877 million kWh offered in the same period in 2018.
The Capella Solar wind power plant, being built by Neoen in El Salvador, is 90% complete and is scheduled to begin operations in April 2020.
From Neoen's statement:
December 23rd, 2019. Neoen, a world leader in renewable energy and long-term investor in El Salvador, closes 2019 by developing the final phase of construction of its second photovoltaic project in the country, called Capella Solar.
Partly determined by the behavior of the energy supply from thermal sources, between January and October 2018 and the same period in 2019 the electricity generation in Panama grew 120%.
According to the latest report of the General Comptroller's Office of Panama, in the first ten months of 2019 9,253 million kWh were generated, which is equivalent to an increase of 3% with respect to the 8,990 million offered in the same period of 2018.
The reform proposal to Nicaragua's Energy Stability Law contemplates the elimination of the tax on the purchase and sale of electricity for users who generate their own energy and decide to market their surpluses.
On November 21, the Ortega administration sent to the National Assembly the initiative, which seeks to exonerate from the marketing tax, generators who sell their surplus electricity to Disnorte-Dissur.
From November 20 to 22, the second edition of the Gas and Energy Summit of the Americas will be held in Panama City, where topics related to the financing of energy projects will be discussed.
The second edition of the Gas and Energy Summit of the Americas will combine conferences on strategic topics with high-level government presentations, thematic debates on innovative content, as well as discussion panels for the collective construction of solutions, led by prominent figures from the regional and global energy sector, informed the Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI).
The Salvadoran government is preparing to begin the tender process in 2020 to build a new photovoltaic plant in Usulután, which will have a capacity of 20 MW and will require an investment of approximately $19 million.
The project of the new solar power plant is contemplated in the General Budget of the Nation of 2020, therefore, if approved by the Legislative Assembly, the Executive Hydroelectric Commission of the Lempa River (CEL) will initiate the public tender next year.
The plant was inaugurated on 29 October and forms part of the Bosphorus project, which consists of the commissioning of 10 power generation parks of 10 MW each.
Between January and August 2018 and the same period in 2019, electricity generation from hydraulic sources in Panama decreased by 40%.
According to the latest report of the General Comptroller's Office of Panama, in the first eight months of 2019 7,436 million kWh were generated, which is equivalent to a 3.3% increase over the 7,200 million offered in the same period of 2018.
A bill presented to the Legislative Assembly proposes to reform the Protocol that currently prevents private generators from commercializing electricity in the Central American market.
Since October 4, 2011, when the Costa Rican Assembly approved the Second Protocol to the Framework Treaty for the Central American Electricity Market, limitations were established on the participation of local generators in the regional market.