Colombia Resumes Ecuador Power Sales 16 Oct

ECUADOR · ENERGY

Colombia resumes Ecuador power sales, President Daniel Noboa announced on Friday 16 October, as Ecuador’s dry season deepens. For US investors, exporters and travellers, the link matters because Ecuador’s industry faces cuts of up to 72 hours a week.

Noboa thanked Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella on X for restarting energy dispatch and promised that Ecuador would help Colombia in hard times. Neither the volume nor the price of the new supply has been published, El Comercio and Infobae noted.

Why Colombia Resumes Ecuador Power Sales Now

Ecuador’s grid operator, Cenace, showed Colombian power flowing again on Friday, although the readings differ. Primicias read 132 megawatts at 11:00, while Infobae cited 347 megawatts and Expreso 347 megawatt hours by 09:00.

The sources reviewed do not reconcile the units or show the scheduled supply. Colombia’s rules allow it to cut or suspend shipments whenever its own system requires, Expreso notes.

On Thursday 22 January Colombia’s energy ministry suspended sales, citing energy sovereignty and climate variability, after Ecuador announced a 30% security levy on Colombian imports, Vistazo reported. Sales restarted on Wednesday 5 August with a forecast of 8.6 gigawatt hours a day, more than 8% of Ecuador’s demand, according to Más Colombia.

Commercial exports stopped again on 7 September, when regulator CREG’s Circular 343 of 5 September put shortage-risk rules into force after four straight months of below-average river inflows, Ecuador Chequea reported. Under CREG Resolution 101 127 of 27 August, power may be exported only after domestic demand is met, CREG’s supporting document and Ecuador Chequea show.

How Deep Ecuador’s Power Shortfall Runs

Ecuador’s Mazar reservoir stood at 2,123.15 metres above sea level at midday Friday, about eight metres above its critical level of 2,115 metres, according to Celec figures in El Comercio. Mazar feeds the Paute hydroelectric complex, which Infobae describes as central to national generation.

El Comercio puts the national shortfall at 1,200 to 1,300 megawatts, so Colombia’s 450-megawatt line can cover only part of it. Fernando Salinas of the Foro Energético Ecuador says Colombia supplied 5% to 6% of Ecuador’s consumption before the cut, about 6 to 7 gigawatt hours a day.

Since 22 September the government has disconnected medium and high-voltage industry in turns, starting at 24 hours and reaching 72 hours a week from 12 October, Expreso reported. On 14 October the government called a seven-day disconnection order an error, and high-voltage group AV1 could draw normal power again from 15 October, El Universo reported.

The government says the industrial cuts aim to keep homes free of the rationing seen in 2023 and 2024. Even so, Extra reported recent outages in parts of Quito, Guayaquil and other cities, as covered in Ecuador Blackouts Hit Homes Despite Pledge.

Colombia’s Own Risk From El Niño

Colombia has its own supply worries, which is why it closed the export window. CREG recorded river inflows at 74.5% of the average in August, a reservoir below its threshold and record demand, Más Colombia reported.

The risk period has no end date and ends only when reservoirs recover or CREG judges conditions have improved. El Comercio says the energy now sent comes from thermal plants burning liquid fuels, which cost more, although CREG’s rules also allow surplus solar, wind and spilled hydropower.

On 5 August Ecuador’s energy minister, Juan Carlos Blum, said the import contract averaged US$0.33 per kilowatt-hour. El Comercio recalls that prices under former president Gustavo Petro had risen to US$0.65 and almost US$1.00.

Earlier shortages are covered in Ecuador Power Cuts Hit Industry Over 9 October Holiday and in Ecuador Explained: The Country, the Security Crisis, the Economy and What to Watch. No price has been published for the supply that restarted on Friday.

What It Means for You

For US investors and importers, the supply matters because industry carries the scheduled cuts, which can slow factory output and export schedules. The National Chamber of Aquaculture warned of job losses and asked the government for more transparency, El Espectador reported.

Travellers and residents should expect possible local outages in Quito, Guayaquil and other cities, since Colombian power does not guarantee supply. Companies should plan for backup generation, because the government has told firms to run their own plants during the cuts.

Colombian supply and rain over the Paute basin could ease the strain, but neither is assured. Blackouts of up to 14 hours a day in September 2024 show what a deeper shortage can mean, El Espectador recalled.

What Is Not Known

The volume is unclear, because Cenace readings reported on Friday differ (132 megawatts at 11:00 per Primicias, 347 megawatts or megawatt hours earlier per Infobae and Expreso) and no official schedule has been published. The price, the contract terms and the duration of the supply have also not been announced.

The sources reviewed contain no statement from the Colombian government or from XM, Colombia’s grid operator, on the restart. They rely on Noboa’s post and on Cenace data, so the Colombian side of the decision is not documented here.

Colombia has not said how long it will export, since the CREG risk period has no end date. Ecuador has announced no change to the industrial cuts, so it is not known whether they will ease.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Colombia selling electricity to Ecuador again?

President Daniel Noboa said on Friday 16 October that Colombia had restarted energy dispatch. Cenace data showed Colombian power flowing that morning, but no volume or price has been announced.

Why did Colombia stop selling power to Ecuador?

Colombia’s regulator CREG put shortage-risk rules into force on 7 September because El Niño had cut river inflows. The rules let Colombia export only after its own demand is met.

How much power can Colombia send?

The interconnection can carry about 450 megawatts, roughly a tenth of Ecuador’s peak demand. Actual flows depend on Colombian availability and have not been published.

Will Ecuador’s industrial power cuts end?

The sources reviewed show no announced change to cuts of up to 72 hours a week for medium and high-voltage industry. Relief depends on Colombian supply and on rain feeding the Mazar reservoir.

How low is the Mazar reservoir?

Celec put it at 2,123.15 metres above sea level on Friday 16 October. That is about eight metres above the critical level of 2,115 metres.

What does Colombian electricity cost Ecuador?

In August the energy minister said imports averaged US$0.33 per kilowatt-hour. The price of the supply that restarted on Friday has not been published.

Sources: Primicias, 16 October 2026; El Comercio, 16 October 2026; Expreso, 16 October 2026; Infobae, 16 October 2026; El Espectador, 16 October 2026; Extra, 16 October 2026; El Oriente, 16 October 2026; Vistazo, 22 January 2026; Ecuador Chequea, October 2026; El Universo, 14 October 2026; CREG supporting document, 27 August 2026; La República, 6 October 2026; Más Colombia, 2 October 2026. Cenace readings as reported by the outlets named; Celec reservoir level as reported by El Comercio.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief