Scaling up rural electrification via capacity building to public and private actors

 
Implementing partner: Global Green Growth Institute 
 Sector: Just Energy Transition
 Implementation period: February 2021 - December 2024

 
 
 
 
The project aimed to accelerate Colombia’s just energy transition by enhancing the capacity of public and private stakeholders to deliver sustainable rural electrification solutions. The project sought to reduce emissions, improve energy access, and strengthen climate resilience in underserved rural communities, aligning with UK PACT’s mission to support low-carbon growth. Starting with capacity building for structuring renewable energy projects (Phase I), it progressed to securing funding and fostering private-sector green investments (Phase II) and culminated in embedding Energy Communities within national policy frameworks (Phase III), ensuring equitable and inclusive benefits under the guidance of the Ministry of Mines and Energy (Ministerio de Minas y Energía) and the Institute for Planning and Promotion of Energy Solutions for Non-Interconnected Areas (IPSE). 

"This energy communities project is incredibly important  to us because the knowledge we gain from it is vital  for our community: it will empower us to operate and manage our own energy services. Additionally, it will  have a positive impact on multiple fronts, ensuring  a dignified life for islanders, especially children, and strengthening local businesses and other entities,  including shops, eco-hotels, and our health centre."


Dayana Medrano Molina, Legal Representative, Community Council of Islas del Rosario (Colombia)

 

GGGI 885 project Colombia (2)

 

 Main results

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  • The project assisted in the establishment of FONENERGIA (Decree 1580 of 2022) and a legal framework for Energy Communities (Decree 2236 of 2023), thereby enhancing Colombia's capacity to finance climate-resilient energy projects.

  • The project designed two models: 1) Sustainable Operational Model for Energy Communities in Non-interconnected Zones of Isla Fuerte and Isla Grande by mobilization of public funds, 2) model for the Administration, Operation, and Maintenance (AOM) framework for projects funded by either public or private entities, with private operations in ZNI.

  • Over 1,176 people were trained through regional knowledge-sharing workshops and a virtual course focused on strengthening the capacities of sub-national level entities on the formulation and structuring of rural electrification projects.

  • Key case studies and lessons learned on rural electrification, which have informed decision-making among Colombian energy stakeholders, was presented enhancing knowledge-sharing and policy improvements, particularly in the design of sustainable energy models for non-interconnected zones. 
 ——

 
 
  • Structured and supported the mobilising of $6.2M million USD to build 3 energy projects in NIZ (Bahía Malaga, Puerto Caicedo y Remolinos del Caguán), bringing 24 hours of clean energy to 1,447 households.

  • The project assisted private developers to catalyse ~USD 9M in private investment, enabling sustainable energy to 135 new telecom towers in rural Colombia under an ESCO model. This initiative delivers digital connectivity to an estimated 200,000 new rural users, significantly bridging the digital divide and enhancing access to essential services in underserved communities.

  • Targeted technical assistance was provided to the Community Councils of Isla Grande and Isla Fuerte and IPSE, to develop essential tools for establishing a public private-community Energy Community model.  

  • Support was provided to three rural electrification projects in Miraflores (Guaviare), Taraira (Vaupes), and Cumaribo (Vichada), leading to the design of a robust model for the operation, maintenance, and administration of hybrid facilities in Non-Interconnected Zones. Funded with public resources from IPSE, these projects became operations in 2024 .

About UK PACT

UK PACT (Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions) is a unique capacity-building programme. Jointly governed and funded by the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) through the UK's International Climate Finance, it works in partnership with countries with high emissions reduction potential to support them to implement and increase their ambitions for tackling climate change.

 

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