Colombia Records 4.58 GW Solar; 1.35 GW Short of August Target

Colombia recorded 4,580.89 megawatts (MW) of solar photovoltaic capacity as of July 21, with 3,386.22 MW in commercial operation and 1,194.67 MW in testing, according to the monitoring dashboard of the Mining and Energy Planning Unit (UPME). With five weeks remaining before the August 2026 deadline, the 6GW+ program needs to add 1.35 additional gigawatts (GW) to reach its target.

The 6GW+ program, launched in August 2022, set out to incorporate at least 6 GW of renewable capacity (solar, wind, and small hydropower plants) over a four-year period. When it began, Colombia had barely 200 MW of installed solar and wind capacity. The initiative attracted investment from international developers, particularly from Europe and the United States, into a market with high solar irradiance and a nearly nonexistent non-hydro renewable base. As of July 21, UPME tallies 4,654.31 MW accumulated across the three technologies, of which more than 98% corresponds to solar projects.

Solar and wind capacity represents 19.23% of the installed capacity of the National Interconnected System (SIN), according to Ministry of Mines and Energy data as of July 17. According to La República, Minister Edwin Palma reported 4.63 GW of cumulative renewable capacity, with a shortfall of 1.37 GW against the official target. The immediate challenge after August is transmission infrastructure: several projects currently in testing depend on new lines to evacuate their generation, a bottleneck identified as a priority in UPME's expansion plan.

The breakdown by project type shows 3,283.70 MW in large-scale renewable generation, 575.94 MW in large-scale self-generation, 569.73 MW in small-scale self-generation, 224.94 MW in distributed generation, and 13.89 MW in non-interconnected zones. The wind sector remains stalled with barely 41 MW registered, all in testing and concentrated in La Guajira, where projects face persistent delays. Small hydropower adds 32.42 MW, of which 12.02 MW are already operating.

Renewable energy association SER Colombia noted that the sectoral target of 4,200 MW for 2026 has already been surpassed, and that installed capacity is enough to supply the demand of Bogotá and its metropolitan area. With 1.35 GW outstanding and five weeks ahead, the nominal August target looks tight; UPME has, however, registered over 16 GW in solar and wind projects approved for construction between 2023 and 2033.

This note was drafted with artificial intelligence assistance from verified sources and reviewed by a human editor before publication.