How many generation companies are there in El Salvador?

In 2006, there were 11 generation companies in El Salvador, with 18 out of 22 generation plants in private hands and 97% of hydroelectric capacity owned by the public company CEL (Comisión Hidroeléctrica del Río Lempa).

How much electricity does El Salvador produce a year?

Gross electricity generation in 2006 was 5,195 GWh, of which 40% came from traditional thermal sources, 38% from hydroelectricity, 20% from geothermal sources, and 2% from biomass. In 2006, total electricity sold in El Salvador was 4,794 GWh, which corresponds to 702kWh annual per capita consumption.

How many transmission companies are there in El Salvador?

In El Salvador, one government-owned company, Etesal (Empresa Transmisora de El Salvador), which was constituted in 1999 after the restructuring of CEL (Comisión Ejecutiva Hidroeléctrica del Río Lempa), is responsible for the maintenance and expansion of the transmission system. In El Salvador, there are five distribution companies.

Does the Inter-American Development Bank provide technical assistance to El Salvador?

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is currently providing technical assistance to El Salvador in several electricity-related initiatives: World Bank, 2002. CEPAL, 2007. Istmo Centroamericano: Estadísticas del Subsector Eléctrico Archived 2011-07-20 at the Wayback Machine

Why should El Salvador join the SIEPAC project?

This would also reduce the dependence on traditional thermal sources and, with that, the vulnerability to high oil prices that the country started to face in 2005. El Salvador is also one of the countries included in the SIEPAC project, which will integrate the electricity network of the country with the rest of the Central American region.

How many hydroelectric plants are there in El Salvador?

The public company CEL (Comisión Hidroeléctrica del Río Lempa) owns and operates 97% of the capacity. The four hydroelectric plants in El Salvador are: 5 de Noviembre (81.4 MW), Guajoyo (15MW), Cerrón Grande (135 MW), and 15 de Septiembre (156.3 MW), all of them on the Lempa River.