The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), through its Natural Resources Division (NRD), initiated a technical assistance process to Costa Rica's Ministry of Environment and Energy for the design of tools that enable a multidimensional assessment of interconnected energy systems. At the same time, ECLAC will support in the process of updating Costa Rica's long-term energy policy. On October 9-10, 2024, ECLAC co-organized workshops and working groups with the Ministry of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica, bringing together authorities and key stakeholders in the country's energy sector.
Energy Vice Minister Ronny Rodriguez Cháves highlighted ECLAC's commitment to support Costa Rica in achieving the strategic objectives of the energy transition, emphasizing the active participation of ECLAC's technical teams in various spaces for study, design, drafting, and evaluation of public energy and productive policies.
Costa Rica's Ministry of Environment and Energy expressed its interest in receiving technical assistance from ECLAC to develop the country's Energy Policy 2050, a process currently in the preliminary phase of planning, methodological definition, and diagnosis of the main problems, causes, consequences, and critical challenges in public energy transition policy.
Additionally, the work agenda included national consultations under the United Nations program to support greater energy security and resilience in the region's countries. This platform aimed to collect data, improve the understanding of local conditions, and identify barriers and opportunities for the integration of Costa Rica's cross-border energy systems.
To this end, a workshop and working groups were held with various energy stakeholders and technical teams from the Ministry. Participants included representatives and officials from the Vice Ministry of Environment and Energy, the Regulatory Authority of Public Services (ARESEP), the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE), the National Power and Light Company (CNFL), the Costa Rica Institute of Technology (ITCR), the Costa Rican Association of Energy Producers (ACOPE), and the Rural Electrification Cooperative of Los Santos (Copesantos R.L.), among others.
Moreover, part of ECLAC's work agenda focused on preparing the participation of Costa Rica's Ministry of Environment and Energy in the upcoming Regional Energy Transition Dialogues for Latin America and the Caribbean, to be held from November 26-29, 2024, in Guatemala City (https://cepal-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_RMuVNJ5ATQOvoM1eJHclTQ).
ECLAC is committed to continuing its support to the Costa Rican government, in line with its technical assistance work to the region's countries, with the aim of strengthening governance, policies, and institutional capacities to accelerate a fair, inclusive, and sustainable energy transition in Latin America and the Caribbean.
