Keiko Fujimori is poised to become Peru's next president after widening her lead over Roberto Sánchez in the vote count following the runoff election held on June 7. After more than a week of counting, reviewing disputed ballots, and addressing challenges, the Fuerza Popular candidate consolidated a lead that brings her closer to the Presidential Palace in one of the closest elections in the country's recent history.
The decision came after a first round held on April 12, in which more than 30 candidates participated and which once again highlighted Peru's political fragmentation. However, while public attention remained focused on the vote-by-vote count that kept the election results in suspense for several days, a concern began to emerge from the energy sector that transcends individual candidates: the lack of a clear strategy to position the country in the global energy transition.
For Raquel Carrero, a specialist in renewable energies, the main challenge that the next administration will face is not the electoral dispute but the absence of a national vision capable of transforming Peru's energy potential into economic, industrial and technological development.
"From reading both government plans, it's clear there's a reference to renewable energy, the energy transition, and the utilization of our energy resources. However, beyond some general statements and declarations of intent, there's no clear strategic direction for where the country wants to go or what the specific objectives would be to achieve it," the specialist told Energía Estratégica.
According to Carrero, the problem deepens when analyzing the specific measures proposed by the different political forces.
"There are no measurable goals, defined deadlines, or clear answers about the how, when, why, or for what purpose of the proposed actions. All of this ends up being diluted in very general formulations," he stated.
The expert believes this situation reflects a structural problem within the Peruvian political system. "Government plans seem to have become more of a requirement for running for office than genuine roadmaps for governing. It's as if national politics is turning its back on the major transformations taking place in the world," she warned.
"Trade associations, businesses, academia, and civil society have an obligation to review these plans, evaluate them, and propose improvements if they truly want to be an active part of building a development vision for the country," he added.
The renewable energy emergencies awaiting the next government
The lack of a clear roadmap leaves open the possibility that the incoming administration will end up defining the country's energy direction once in office. For Carrero, this could represent an opportunity to build a strategic vision capable of transforming the energy transition into a tool for economic development.
"Regardless of who takes over the government, it is essential to continue with the process of regulating Law 32249 and to do it correctly," he said.
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In that sense, Carrero believes that the process should be completed during the first hundred days of the government since "there is no technical or political reason to prolong it."
"Popular Force played an important role in unblocking and achieving the approval of this law, so it would be difficult to understand why they are not subsequently promoting its proper regulation. The same is true for Together for Peru. Roberto Sánchez himself voted in favor of this law," he pointed out.
The regulations include, among other aspects, new electricity contracting mechanisms and tools to facilitate the integration of renewable energy projects into the national energy system. According to Carrero, proper implementation would generate long-term signals for new investments in efficient and clean energy generation.
Added to this is the need to move forward with other regulations considered strategic by the sector, such as the Distributed Generation Law and the regulatory framework for the development of green hydrogen, two instruments that remain pending despite the growing interest of the market.
"It is unacceptable that so many years have passed without this process being finalized. Distributed generation is a fundamental tool for democratizing access to energy, reducing costs, and closing energy gaps throughout the country," he stated.
However, for Carrero, regulatory emergencies are only one part of the challenge. The specialist believes the real debate lies in defining what role Peru wants to play in the global energy transition over the coming years.
"I believe Peru's participation in the global energy transition will be defined in the next five years. If we make the right decisions, regardless of who wins the elections, we can become winners in this global economic transformation. If we don't, we will simply watch other countries seize the opportunities we missed," he warned.
This reflection takes on particular relevance in a context where Peru possesses exceptional conditions to position itself as one of the region's leading energy development hubs. The country boasts world-class solar and wind resources, hydroelectric and geothermal potential, abundant minerals critical for the energy transition, and a strategic location on the Pacific coast.
Even so, Carrero warns that the risk of continuing without a long-term vision remains: "We have been watching from the sidelines while other countries are already playing this game."
"Even if the government doesn't act, the private sector will continue to move forward because the energy transition is already a profitable economic opportunity. However, when the private sector moves forward without a shared vision with the government, each actor ends up going their separate ways. And the country is the one that loses," he concluded.
Thus, as Keiko Fujimori is poised to assume the presidency after one of the most hotly contested elections in Peru's recent history , the renewable energy sector is already looking beyond the ballot box and focusing on the decisions that will determine whether the country capitalizes on the energy transition or continues to lose ground to other markets in the region. At the time of this writing, the Fuerza Popular candidate had extended her lead over Roberto Sánchez to more than 28,500 votes , according to the official count by the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE), consolidating a trend that brings her closer to the Presidential Palace.