At a glance: Panama's power sector regulatory agenda

Panama’s power sector is experiencing a migration to new technologies as part of the energy transition.

The importance of accompanying this shift by adapting supervisory processes and regulations was emphasized by Eduardo Thomas, head of the electricity, potable water and sewerage department at public services regulator Asep during a recent event.

To this end, the watchdog released its 2025 regulatory agenda for the industry that presents the proposed modifications or adoption of norms and regulatory procedures.

There has been increasing pressure to address the issue of the growing contribution of variable renewable energy and its grid impact.

This year's roadmap envisions the approval of a norm to implement an auxiliary services market.

A related tweak would modify the calculation of firm power for renewable generation plants which incorporate battery energy storage systems (BESS).

As often happens with such technologies, there has been some pullback, with energy secretary Juan Manuel Urriola previously stating that although BESS are welcomed, their inclusion in power supply calls could prove prohibitive and raise the price for the final user.

On the smart grid front, there are plans to amend the framework to include definitions of smart meters and advanced metering infrastructure, and a replacement plan for old meters, among others.

Another proposal looks to incorporate improvements and include new aspects related to the connection conditions for large users and generators, and quality indicators for interruptions caused by large generators, among others.

And efforts will target the approval of a regulation to provide electricity services in isolated, unprofitable and non-concessioned areas.

Asep’s 2025 regulatory agenda is available in the Documents box in the top-right corner of the screen.