Colombia's installed solar capacity has surpassed 4.58 GW, with nearly 1.2 GW of projects still undergoing testing, as solar accounts for more than 98% of renewable capacity added since August 2022. The country needs to add about 1.35 GW more of solar, wind and small-scale hydropower by August…
Colombia has now exceeded 4.58 GW of installed solar power capacity, while close to 1.2 GW of additional solar projects are still in the testing phase. Solar energy has contributed more than 98% of all renewable generation capacity brought online since August 2022. To achieve the government's objective of reaching 6 GW of renewable energy capacity by August 2026, the country must still install approximately 1.35 GW of additional solar, wind, and small-scale hydropower capacity.
Data published through the Mining and Energy Planning Unit's (UPME) "6GW+" program tracking dashboard shows that Colombia has reached a total of 4,580.89 MW of solar capacity. Nearly all renewable energy capacity added under the government's initiative has come from solar projects.
Out of the total installed solar capacity, 3,386.22 MW is already operating commercially, while another 1,194.67 MW belongs to projects that are still undergoing testing. This means that roughly one-quarter of the country's recorded solar capacity has yet to begin full commercial operations.
Overall, the UPME has registered 4,654.31 MW of combined solar, wind, and small-scale hydropower capacity added since August 2022. Solar contributes slightly more than 98% of that total. The remainder includes 41 MW of wind capacity currently under testing and 32.42 MW of small-scale hydropower, consisting of 12.02 MW already in operation and 20.4 MW that remains in the testing stage.
The Ministry of Mines and Energy reported that, as of July 17, the combined installed capacity of solar and wind projects had reached 4,626.73 MW. Together, these two renewable technologies now make up 19.23% of the total installed capacity within Colombia's National Interconnected System.
This figure covers more than just utility-scale renewable facilities connected to the national grid or projects that have already entered commercial service. It also includes projects undergoing testing, distributed generation systems, both small- and large-scale self-generation facilities, as well as installations located in areas that are not connected to the National Interconnected System.
UPME stated that the 6GW+ initiative currently consists of 3,283.70 MW of utility-scale renewable projects, 575.94 MW of large-scale self-generation capacity, 224.94 MW of distributed generation, and 569.73 MW of small-scale self-generation. An additional 13.89 MW comes from renewable installations operating in non-interconnected zones.
According to the ministry, Colombia had only around 200 MW of combined solar and wind capacity in August 2022. Since that time, nearly all of the expansion across these two renewable technologies has been driven by the growth of solar installations. Wind energy development, meanwhile, has progressed at a much slower pace because of delays affecting planned projects, particularly those located in La Guajira.
The goal of the 6GW+ program is to bring at least 6 GW of combined solar, wind, and small-scale hydropower capacity online between August 2022 and August 2026. With total registered capacity currently standing at 4,654.31 MW, the country still needs to add approximately 1.35 GW to achieve that objective.
The ministry said that upcoming efforts will concentrate on speeding up the commissioning of new renewable energy projects, strengthening transmission infrastructure, and supporting the development of energy storage, energy communities, and self-generation. Expanding this infrastructure will also be essential for integrating solar projects that are presently undergoing testing, along with renewable facilities that remain under construction.
Originally reported by pv magazine on Jul 21, 2026.
