Creando valor local: Subastas de energías renovables en Colombia

This research paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines how Colombia can redesign its renewable energy auctions to foster a just and inclusive energy transition. It proposes integrating non-price socioeconomic criteria and specific mechanisms to support community energy projects, moving away from previous auction models that focused exclusively on price and led to social conflicts and project delays.

• Previous renewable energy auctions in Colombia, including those in 2019 and 2021, lacked socioeconomic considerations, which contributed to social acceptance challenges, project delays, and cancellations. The 2019 auction specifically saw projects awarded before completing prior consultations with affected communities, leading to "consultas apresuradas y desorganizadas".
• The concentration of renewable energy projects in specific resource-rich areas has increased tensions. In La Guajira, approximately 90% of awarded projects are located there, and the region accounts for about 60% of the auctioned energy demand, raising concerns regarding land use, benefit distribution, and the legitimacy of consultation processes.
• The document recommends that new auctions implement robust qualification requirements to ensure community support from the start. These should include evidence of a deep understanding of the local context, comprehensive community participation strategies throughout the project lifecycle, and transparent benefit distribution programs aligned with community 'Planes de Vida'.
• The paper proposes moving toward multi-criteria award mechanisms that evaluate bidders on factors beyond price. Suggested indicators include the percentage of revenue destined for community funds, local co-ownership, the proportion of local workers (including women and ethnic groups), and the use of local suppliers.
• To support 'comunidades energéticas' (defined as associations with a capacity up to 5 MW), the authors suggest a 'process of adhesion'. This would involve reserving a specific quota of auctioned demand for community projects and allowing them to access contracts at the price determined by the auction results within a fixed timeframe (e.g., three years).
• The authors propose the creation of a dedicated support agency for community projects to prevent 'community washing'—where projects claim to be community-led but are controlled by external actors. This agency would provide technical assistance, financial mentoring, and monitor the genuine nature of community participation throughout the project lifecycle.

APA

Vega-Araújo, J., & Cabré, M. M. (2025). Creando valor local: Subastas de energías renovables en Colombia. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/251215a-pr289-ortiz-vega-aruajo-ren-en-auctions-colombia-2504b-1.pdf

Chicago

Vega-Araújo, José, and Miquel Muñoz Cabré. Creando valor local: Subastas de energías renovables en Colombia. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2025. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/251215a-pr289-ortiz-vega-aruajo-ren-en-auctions-colombia-2504b-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Vega-Araújo |first1=José |last2=Cabré |first2=Miquel Muñoz |title=Creando valor local: Subastas de energías renovables en Colombia |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=November 2025 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/251215a-pr289-ortiz-vega-aruajo-ren-en-auctions-colombia-2504b-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{vegaarajo2025creando, author = {Vega-Araújo, José and Cabré, Miquel Muñoz}, title = {{Creando valor local: Subastas de energías renovables en Colombia}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2025}, month = nov, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/251215a-pr289-ortiz-vega-aruajo-ren-en-auctions-colombia-2504b-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }