The Global Energy Districts Programme (GEDP) participated in the XI Energy Week of the Latin American and Caribbean Energy Organization (OLACDE), one of the leading energy sector events in Latin America and the Caribbean. Held from 6 to 9 October 2026 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, the event brought together more than 2,500 attendees and over 150 panellists and speakers to exchange experiences and discuss the challenges and opportunities of the regional energy transition.
As part of its participation, GEDP led the panel discussion “Beyond Electricity: Energy Districts to Transform Markets and Accelerate the Energy Transition in Latin America and the Caribbean,” held on 8 October. The session was moderated by Cristina Mariaca Orozco, GEDP’s International Strategic and Technical Coordinator. The panel also featured Felipe Mellado Andías, District Energy Coordinator at Chile’s Ministry of Energy; Juan Carlos Gómez, Deputy Manager of Gas Distribution at EPM (Colombia); Alexander Sharabaroff, Senior Energy Specialist at the World Bank; Wellington Reyes, Innovation Director at InterEnergy Systems; and Ernesto Acevedo Peña, Director of Renewable Energy at the Ministry of Energy and Mines of the Dominican Republic.
The discussion explored the potential of energy districts to transform how cities, industries and communities produce and consume energy, highlighting opportunities for their implementation in sectors such as tourism, urban environments and industry. Participants also examined the main barriers to their expansion across Latin America and the Caribbean, including regulatory, financial, technical and institutional challenges, as well as the need to strengthen energy and urban planning and promote business models that facilitate investment.
Throughout the week, GEDP also hosted an exhibition space where attendees could learn more about this solution through an interactive virtual tour experience featuring four projects: the Consorcio Energético Punta Cana Macao (CEPM) energy district in the Dominican Republic, and the La Alpujarra, Serena del Mar and Air Liquide energy districts in Colombia.