Latin America and the Caribbean Banking More On Renewable Energy
- The Latin American and Caribbean Energy Organisation (OLADE) on Friday said that Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) electricity generation grew 4.5% in April 2026, with renewables supplying more than 60% of the grid. It said that LAC continues to strengthen one of the cleanest electricity systems in the world and that in April 2026, the region generated 164 TWh (terawatt-hours; one TWh equals one billion kilowatt-hours) of electricity, 67% of which came from renewable energy sources.
- The report noted that the figure underscores the structural dominance of clean energy despite climate-related fluctuations that affected hydropower generation, with overall regional electricity generation increasing by 4.5% year-on-year. In OLADE’s latest electricity generation report, hydropower remained the region’s primary source of electricity, accounting for 44.6% of total generation, followed by natural gas at 23.2% and wind energy 12.2%.
- “Together, these three sources represented nearly 80% of all electricity generated across LAC during the month under review. Although hydropower output declined by 9.4 TWh compared with April 2025, the reduction was offset by increases in wind generation (+5.1 TWh), natural gas (+4.6 TWh), and bioenergy (+3.3 TWh),” OLADE said, adding “this highlights the region’s growing ability to adapt to changing climate conditions through a more diversified electricity mix”.
- The renewability index further confirms the region’s energy leadership, with nine of OLADE’s 27 member countries exceeding the regional average of 67.0%. According to OLADE, these indicators demonstrate that the sustained integration of renewable energy technologies, together with complementary sources such as natural gas, is strengthening electricity supply security while enhancing the region’s resilience to climate variability, one of the most significant challenges facing power systems across Latin America and the Caribbean.
(Sources: Trinidad Express)