The Energy Cities project seeks the capacities of administrative teams, companies, educational institutions and social leaders, the design and implementation of local energy strategies, based on the use and exploitation of alternatives in Colombia.
Colombia’s energy system will be confronted with different challenges in the future: electricity demand is expected to increase by 39% within the next 10 years; the international GHG reduction targets are set at 20% by 2030, yet the high share of hydropower of 60% is vulnerable to future climate change impacts. To give an example, the effects of El Niño in 2016, which led to one of the worst droughts in the last 20 years, together with the failure of some hydropower stations, have forced the government to take energy-rationing measures.
In response to these challenges, Colombia is reacting on different levels. An important step has been the development of a strong legal framework for energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy (RE), including the energy efficiency program, PROURE – Program for the Rational and Efficient Use of Energy and non-Conventional Sources, 2017 - 2022. PROURE targets EE in sectors such as industry and transport and has identified a savings potential of 20% for the whole country. Much of these savings can be achieved in cities.
Energy Cities is a management tool for municipalities, which was originated in Switzerland 25 years ago, encouraging the implementation of energy efficiency projects, renewable energy and sustainable mobility at local level through innovative models of collaboration and with the participation of authorities municipalities, the academy, the productive sector and civil society.
At present, Energy City has become a global initiative, which has been successfully adapted in 21 countries in Europe, Africa and Latin America
The program, executed by EBP with the participation of Swisscontact, uses innovative collaboration models and aims at the participation of municipal authorities, academia, the private sector and civil society in order to design and implement energy strategies at the local level, based in the use and exploitation of alternative energies in Colombia.
The program has three pilot cities, Montería, Fusagasugá and Pastoo, which will accompany and analyze them in the process of developing energy strategies, action plans and the implementation of specific energy projects at the municipal level. Subsequently, based on the pilot experience, a National Energy Cities Program will be developed.