Transmisión eléctrica en Colombia: Panorama 2025

The Colombian electrical transmission sector faces a structural lag as generation capacity is projected to reach 38.9 GW by 2030. The National Interconnected System (SIN) is nearing operational limits, with less than 5% transport capacity available and 90% of substations expected to exhaust short-circuit interruption capacity within five years. Execution is a critical failure point, with 55% of the 20 active transmission projects delayed, including the Bacatá-Norte and Sogamoso Norte-Nueva Esperanza projects. These delays are attributed to socio-environmental factors, licensing difficulties, and poor coordination between national energy planning and land-use instruments. To address this, the 'Plan Maestro de Modernización y Expansión de la infraestructura de Transmisión Eléctrica' proposes 98 strategic works, 44 of which could resolve over 149 operational restrictions by 2037. Additionally, the UPME adopted the 'Modelo de Relacionamiento Territorial' in 2025 to better integrate socio-environmental and cultural criteria into planning.

• Colombia's electrical generation capacity is expanding rapidly, with total installed capacity projected to reach 38.9 GW by 2030, comprising 20.9 GW of current capacity and 18 GW of additional approved capacity.
• The National Interconnected System (SIN) is reaching critical operational thresholds, with less than 5% of transport capacity available and 90% of substations expected to exhaust their short-circuit interruption capacity within the next five years.
• Project execution is a primary sector challenge; 55% of the 20 transmission projects currently in progress are delayed, with some projects like Bacatá-Norte and Sogamoso Norte-Nueva Esperanza experiencing delays of 12 and 10 years respectively.
• The 'Plan Maestro de Modernización y Expansión de la infraestructura de Transmisión Eléctrica' identifies 98 strategic works, and the completion of 44 of these could mitigate more than 149 operational restrictions projected for the 2024–2037 period.

APA

Sáenz, G., & Araújo, J. V. (2026). Transmisión eléctrica en Colombia: Panorama 2025. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/publications/transmision-electrica-colombia-panorama-2025/

Chicago

Sáenz, Germán, and José Vega Araújo. Transmisión eléctrica en Colombia: Panorama 2025. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2026. https://www.sei.org/publications/transmision-electrica-colombia-panorama-2025/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sáenz |first1=Germán |last2=Araújo |first2=José Vega |title=Transmisión eléctrica en Colombia: Panorama 2025 |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=27 March 2026 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/transmision-electrica-colombia-panorama-2025/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{senz2026transmisin, author = {Sáenz, Germán and Araújo, José Vega}, title = {{Transmisión eléctrica en Colombia: Panorama 2025}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2026}, month = mar, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/transmision-electrica-colombia-panorama-2025/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }