The opportunities to invest in renewable energy are increasing in Guatemala. Besides being a good business opportunity, they are good for the environment. If you are interested in investing in charging stations for electric vehicles in the country, this information is for you.  

On March 20th, 2023, the National Electric Energy Commission (CNEE) published Resolution CNEE-69-2023: "Technical regulation for the provision of charging services for electric vehicles and electric transport system", which will come into force on March 30th..  

This regulation establishes the technical and legal provisions to regulate charging services for electric vehicles and electric transportation in a reliable and safe way. Among them, it includes national and international electric sector standards, applicable to electric vehicles and the construction of charging stations for them.  

The resolution applies to all those involved in the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of charging facilities, including upgrades, expansions and temporary installations. 

These regulations guarantee suppliers free access to the transmission and distribution system, to comply with the requirements. In addition, it ensures the confidentiality of the information provided to the CNEE by the interested parties, until the moment they connect to the load service. 
 
Those interested in becoming distributors, suppliers, or marketers of the load service, in addition to complying with the legal requirements, must be incorporated through different companies or legal entities for each activity. In the case of the marketers, they must do so as a large user, which refers to energy consumers with a demand greater than 100 kW.  

These suppliers are prohibited from distributing electricity to other users or consumers in general, they may not provide electricity services for purposes other than the load service.  

The applicable tariffs are those established by the CNEE in the tariff schedule of each distribution company for supplying load service providers with power capacities lower than the demand limit established for large users in the General Electricity Law.  

This regulation is issued in harmony with the Law of Incentives for Electric Mobility, Decree 40-2022, with its regulations contained in Governmental Agreement 295-2022 and with the approval of the Statute of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Decree 6-2023.
 
Guatemala is moving towards decarbonization and the promotion and use of renewable energies, which represent a variety of new opportunities for environmentally friendly businesses.  

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us, we will be honored to serve you.

• Ricardo Recinos ricardo.recinos@carrillolaw.com
• Gabriel Cabrera  gabriel.cabrera@carrillolaw.com