CREG postpones investment adjustments and flexibilizes measurement following the earthquake

The Energy and Gas Regulatory Commission (CREG) adopted transitional measures for network operators and electricity sector agents affected by the 7.4 magnitude earthquake recorded on August 10. Resolution 101 128 of 2026, published in the Official Gazette on September 9, postpones the submission of investment plan adjustments to January 2027 and flexibilizes metering and commercial boundaries in areas declared as national disaster zones.

The earthquake, with its epicenter in San José del Palmar (Chocó) according to the Colombian Geological Service, caused severe damage in the western Andean and Pacific regions. In response, the national Government declared a national disaster situation through Decree 1171 of August 11, 2026, for the departments of Antioquia, Caldas, Cauca, Chocó, Quindío, Cundinamarca, Risaralda, Huila, Valle del Cauca, Tolima, Putumayo, and Norte de Santander, for a term of twelve extendable months. Subsequently, Decree 1261 of August 19, 2026, declared a State of Economic, Social, and Ecological Emergency due to grave public calamity, extending the scope to Bolívar, Nariño, and Sucre for thirty days.

Postponement of investment plans

The regulation modifies the deadline provided in CREG Resolution 015 of 2018, which set August 31, 2026, as the deadline for network operators (OR) to submit their investment plan adjustment requests for the 2027-2031 period. With the new provision, affected ORs may submit the request no later than January 31, 2027.

• ORs that have already submitted their request may withdraw it and submit a new one within the new deadline, informing CREG within five business days following the issuance of the resolution.
• The deadline for reporting updated variables to the Account Liquidator and Administrator (LAC) is set for October 30, 2026, with the application of new charges no later than the December 2026 monthly publication.
• The modification does not entail tariff effects, as all ORs of the National Interconnected System (SIN) have approved investment plans at least until 2027.

Flexibilization of metering and commercial boundaries

Regarding metering, the resolution establishes transitional rules over resolutions CREG 156 and 157 of 2011 and CREG 038 of 2014, so that agents can restore the normality of their operations. The measures include the suspension of visits and verifications of metering systems scheduled between the date of the disaster and September 14, 2026, as well as the suspension of scheduled maintenance.

• Affected measurement systems may be temporarily replaced without the ordinary requirements until September 14, 2026, with a sixty-day period to certify compliance with the Measurement Code.
• Failures of measurement systems occurring between the disaster and September 14, 2026, will not be counted, provided they derive from the emergency.
• The ASIC will restore commercial boundaries canceled as a result of the emergency, upon request from the boundary representative.
• Agents must inform the ASIC, within two business days following the entry into force, of the list of affected commercial boundaries.

Deadlines and reports

The resolution, approved in Session 1493 on September 3, 2026, was submitted for public consultation through project CREG 701 146 of 2026, during which 97 observations were received from 12 senders, including DISPAC, CEDENAR, EPM, CELSIA, VATIA, ENEL Colombia, XM, ENERTOTAL, ASOCODIS, and EE Pereira. The ASIC must prepare and publish a report on the application of the transitional rules no later than the last day of January 2027, submitting it to the Superintendency of Residential Public Services and the CREG.

The measure, signed by the Vice Minister of Energy, Armando José Cuello Navarro, and the Executive Director of CREG, Adriana Jiménez Delgado, takes effect from its publication in the Official Gazette. With these provisions, CREG seeks to guarantee the continuity and reliability of the energy service for millions of users in the affected regions, easing the regulatory burdens on operators while normality is restored following the emergency.

Source: Official Gazette (Colombia), edition 53,620, Wednesday, September 9, 2026, section I, p. 23 (official reference: Resolution 101 128 of 2026).