In early October, the Central America and Caribbean Energy Transition Investment Forum, hosted by International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Ministry of Energy and Mines of the Dominican Republic (MEM), took place alongside the 11th OLACDE Energy Week in Santo Domingo. The Forum brought investors, financial institutions, governments and development partners to explore improved investment conditions for the region´s energy transition.
Michael Mechlinski, Coordinator LAC and Regional Window Coordinator Central America at GET.transform and GET.invest, participated in the Forum´s high-level dialogue “Enabling the Energy Transition in Central America and the Caribbean – Grids, Infrastructure and Regional Cooperation.”
During the discussion, Michael emphasised that moving from planning to implementation requires stronger institutional coordination, enabling regulatory frameworks, and the translation of regional and national plans into concrete actions and projects. For Central America, he highlighted the importance of strengthening national grids and regional transmission infrastructure, advancing regulatory harmonization, deepening the regional electricity market, and increasing system flexibility and storage to enable a growing share of renewable energy.
GET.transform and GET.invest’s joint “Policy to Deal” approach was presented to partners, demonstrating how the synergetic support by the GET.pro sister programmes, will help connect reforms and investment mobilisation. In line with the EU-LAC Global Gateway Agenda, GET.transform will support the public sector through energy policy and regulatory advice, capacity development, and improved tendering processes, while GET.invest will focus on the private sector to facilitate investment mobilization and turn opportunities into concrete projects.
Forum discussions also highlighted the need for blended finance and public-private partnerships as well as de-risking resilient infrastructure and geothermal investment.
The Investment Forum brings planning into action: promoting stronger regulatory frameworks, robust institutions, and regional cooperation to mobilise the investment needed for the region’s sustainable and interconnected energy future.
