ÍNDICE DEL TRILEMA ENERGÉTICO Colombia 2020

The 2020 Energy Trilemma Index for Colombia analyzes the electricity sector across its departments, highlighting a strong dependence on hydroelectric power (72% of the national matrix) and significant regional disparities. While departments like Antioquia, Boyacá, and La Guajira show high energy security, there are stark gaps in energy equity, particularly between the National Interconnected System (SIN) and Non-Interconnected Zones (ZNI). The report also notes that environmental sustainability is compromised in departments relying on fossil fuels, with Casanare and Atlántico recording high CO2 emissions per capita.

• The Colombian electricity sector is divided into the National Interconnected System (SIN) and Non-Interconnected Zones (ZNI). In 2020, the SIN had an effective generation capacity of 17,485 MW, with the majority of production coming from hydroelectric and thermoelectric plants in the Andean and Caribbean regions.
• Antioquia is the leading department in energy production, accounting for 34% of the total energy generated in the country, primarily due to its hydroelectric resources.
• Energy security is highest in Boyacá, Antioquia, and La Guajira due to their specialization in resources like water and coal. Conversely, Huila has a low security rating because it depends primarily on a single generator.
• There is a significant gap in energy equity between the Andean and Caribbean zones and border regions. Access to electricity in SIN zones is approximately 10 hours per day higher than in ZNI zones.
• Environmental sustainability scores are lowest in departments that rely heavily on coal and gas for electricity generation.
• Casanare has the highest CO2 emissions per capita in the country, followed by Atlántico, largely due to the presence of major gas exploitation fields like Cusiana and Cupiagua.
• Energy intensity (energy used per unit of GDP) is highest in Atlántico due to high demand for air conditioning and industrial/port activities, and in Córdoba due to energy-intensive nickel mining.
• While solar and wind energy did not make a significant contribution to the national matrix in 2020 (approximately 41 MW and 18 MW respectively), the Cesar department is a leader in solar generation due to high solar radiation.
• The report identifies a rural-urban divide in energy access; urban areas have an average coverage of 98%, while remote regions like the Pacific, Orinoquía, and high Caribbean average 13 hours of effective access per inhabitant, compared to over 23 hours in central departments.

APA

Pinzón, Á. D., Sanabria, J. E., Peña, J., Rueda, M. A., & Restrepo, G. P. (2020). ÍNDICE DEL TRILEMA ENERGÉTICO Colombia 2020. Transforma. https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Indice-del-trilema-energetico-Colombia-2020.pdf

Chicago

Pinzón, Álvaro Daniel, Juan Esteban Sanabria, Juliana Peña, María Andrea Rueda, and Giovanni Pabón Restrepo. ÍNDICE DEL TRILEMA ENERGÉTICO Colombia 2020. Transforma, 2020. https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Indice-del-trilema-energetico-Colombia-2020.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Pinzón |first1=Álvaro Daniel |last2=Sanabria |first2=Juan Esteban |last3=Peña |first3=Juliana |last4=Rueda |first4=María Andrea |last5=Restrepo |first5=Giovanni Pabón |title=ÍNDICE DEL TRILEMA ENERGÉTICO Colombia 2020 |publisher=Transforma |date=2020 |url=https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Indice-del-trilema-energetico-Colombia-2020.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{pinzn2020ndice, author = {Pinzón, Álvaro Daniel and Sanabria, Juan Esteban and Peña, Juliana and Rueda, María Andrea and Restrepo, Giovanni Pabón}, title = {{ÍNDICE DEL TRILEMA ENERGÉTICO Colombia 2020}}, institution = {Transforma}, year = {2020}, url = {https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Indice-del-trilema-energetico-Colombia-2020.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }