The Ministry of Mines and Energy is advancing in the evaluation of financial relief measures for families and businesses impacted by the earthquake of August 10.
According to the Deputy Minister of Energy, Armando José Cuello, during his participation in the Andeg Energy Forum 2026, this emergency did not cause damage to the electric power generators or the reservoir infrastructure.
The impact was concentrated on end users, causing an 18 percent drop in national demand. To date, 97 percent of the service has been restored.
In this scenario, the priority of the National Government is focused on cushioning the economic impact on household budgets and supporting affected companies in the sector.
Among the alternatives under analysis is the possibility of replicating mechanisms implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic, including a potential freeze on energy rates, a measure that would be applied exclusively in the departments that recorded impacts.
However, the Ministry of Mines and Energy emphasized that any decision requires a careful balance so as not to impact the finances of the electric sector.
“We are reviewing each case to seek alternatives. It is a delicate analysis that we have to do to be able to relieve users without ending up affecting private companies,” said the deputy minister, recalling that energy companies “have been very hard hit in the last four years.”
Any decision requires maximum caution due to the precedent of the tariff option. Precisely, the freezing of rates decreed during the Covid-19 health emergency gave rise to a multi-million deferred debt that users still owe to the marketers.
According to data from the Colombian Association of Electric Energy Distributors (Asocodis), as of mid-July, the outstanding balance for this concept amounts to <b1.9 trillion pesos.
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