The National Electric Energy Commission (CNEE) announced that Guatemala is preparing its next two major tenders: PEG-6 , a new call to incorporate approximately 300 MW of firm energy , and PET-4 , which would redefine transmission expansion after the massive influx of renewable projects awarded in PEG-5.
“The idea would be for this tender to be launched within a maximum of three months,” anticipated Marcela Peláez , director of the CNEE , in an exclusive dialogue with Energía Estratégica during the Future Energy Summit (FES) Guatemala meeting.
The call for proposals would not be directed towards a specific technology, maintaining the competitive logic of PEG-5, although Peláez acknowledged that solutions such as geothermal or natural gas fit within the technical profile sought.
“We are aware of the country’s need for a base station that allows us to modulate the variations that will occur due to the large amount of solar energy,” he continued.
REVIVE FES GUATEMALA 2026: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fQIrVqwZYk
The roadmap came after a PEG-5 auction that the regulator considered a success: almost all the energy sought was awarded after 14 hours of competition , with an offer that tripled the demand tendered and an average price of USD 101/MWh , driven mainly by solar projects with storage.
During his participation in FES Guatemala, Peláez defended the outcome of the process and dismissed questions about the awarding of the remaining 140 MW , alluding to the fact that it was not a consequence of the virtual bidding mechanism, but of the competitive design of the call itself.
Now, that volume, combined with the growth in demand, will give way to a new tender focused on firm capacity.
The executive also highlighted that the call allowed open competition between technologies during 14 hours of rounds , with an offer that practically tripled the volume that was sought to be contracted.
In addition to the average price achieved, the regulator considered that the result consolidated a technological transformation that various actors in the sector had already been anticipating: "most of what was awarded in the PEG-5 was solar with battery, which is very positive for the country and will allow for energy autonomy."
REVIVE FES GUATEMALA 2026: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fQIrVqwZYk
Meanwhile, Guatemala was adjusting its upcoming transmission expansion. After the PEG-5 project was awarded, the regulator began analyzing the geographic distribution of the new projects to recalculate infrastructure needs.
This work would directly impact PET-4 , which would incorporate adjustments to the initially designed plan. According to Peláez, the new process would include more than 500 km of transmission lines and more than 18 substations .
Guatemala has a complex history in this area, where previous processes faced difficulties due to the total allocation of risks to the private sector, especially regarding easements and permits.
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“We are correcting the risk management we had in PET-3 , where all the responsibility fell on the investor,” he acknowledged.
The intention was to move towards a more balanced scheme, with greater state participation in the management of these critical factors, a key point after previous experiences where technical and administrative uncertainty affected investor appetite.
Beyond the regulatory design, implementation would depend on the institutional capacity to expedite permitting. Peláez identified two critical areas: municipal authorizations and environmental approvals.
On this last front, direct coordination with the Government already existed. The director noted that the Ministry of the Environment assigned specific monitoring for the awarded projects, with the aim of streamlining requirements and reducing downtime resulting from technical reprocessing.
REVIVE FES GUATEMALA 2026: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fQIrVqwZYk
But while generation and transmission are currently the focus of expansion, distribution emerges as the most delicate front.
“The distribution networks are collapsing,” Peláez stated.
The rapid expansion of GDR is already forcing the regulator to restrict new authorizations in some circuits. In some cases, applications were rejected outright; in others, only a capacity far below that required by the developers was authorized.
The diagnosis required a complete rethink of the infrastructure. The CNEE considers it essential to move towards smart grids, with bidirectional transformers and new operational architectures capable of managing energy flows far more complex than those of three decades ago.
However, modernizing the system has a clear limit: cost. Therefore, the regulator's challenge is to sustain the energy transition without compromising affordability.
REVIVE FES GUATEMALA 2026: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fQIrVqwZYk
What's next on the FES agenda?
The Future Energy Summit tour continues today with FES Mexico, where key players from the public and private sectors will address the challenges and opportunities linked to the expansion of the energy system, new investment schemes, and the execution of strategic projects.
To access the full FES 2026 tour schedule, learn more about it and be part of the meetings, the FES digital platform is available, while all events will have a live broadcast through the official Future Energy Summit YouTube channel.
For inquiries and more information, please contact info@futurenergysummit.com