Electricity transmission planning in Latin America: Regulatory challenges and recommendations to speed up network expansion

P. Mastropietro, L. Olmos, M.S. Gómez Pérez, S. Lumbreras, A. Ramos, M. R. Carvalho, A.D. Alarcón

Energy Policy Vol. 219, pp. 115586

Summary:

The Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region has advanced regulations governing transmission expansion planning in the power sector and has been and continues to be the birthplace of numerous innovative experiences in this field. Even so, there are certain gaps in transmission planning practices that prevent these networks from expanding at the necessary pace. Criticalities arise in the form of bottlenecks in the queue of interconnection requests, rising congestions and a significant increase in renewable energy curtailment. This article presents a detailed analysis of transmission planning in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Guatemala, with a particular focus on regulatory aspects such as the organisation of the planning process and the socio-environmental licensing of transmission projects. This review was complemented and enriched through direct contact with public institutions and stakeholders in the five countries. This exercise allows us to identify gaps with respect to international best practices and put forward recommendations to improve planning efficiency and enable countries in the LAC region to fulfil its energy policy ambitions.

Spanish layman's summary:

Este artículo presenta un análisis detallado de la planificación de la red de transporte en Brasil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador y Guatemala, identifica las brechas con respecto a las mejores prácticas internacionales y formula recomendaciones para mejorar la eficiencia de la planificación.

English layman's summary:

This article presents a detailed analysis of transmission planning in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Guatemala, identifies gaps with respect to international best practices, and put forward recommendations to improve planning efficiency.

Keywords: Transmission regulation; Expansion planning; Public acceptance; Social licensing; Environmental assessment

JCR-JIF Impact Factor and WoS quartile: 9,300 - Q1 (2025)

DOI reference: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2026.115586

Published on paper: December 2026.

Published on-line: August 2026.

Citation:
P. Mastropietro, L. Olmos, M.S. Gómez Pérez, S. Lumbreras, A. Ramos, M. R. Carvalho, A.D. Alarcón, "Electricity transmission planning in Latin America: Regulatory challenges and recommendations to speed up network expansion", Energy Policy, Vol. 219, pp. 115586, December 2026. [Online: August 2026] doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2026.115586