Efficient provision of electricity requires timely expansions of power transmission capacity. However, regulation does not always send the right signals to generate the required (and timely) investments. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the effect of alternative regulations on investment on transmission capacity. In this paper, considering regulated remuneration, we perform this evaluation with a behavioral simulation model of the transmission capacity expansion, in which capacity is endogenously determined by the demand/supply relation.

Climate change is likely to affect water availability and therefore hydropower generation in many regions of the world. In drying regions, hydropower generation may be impaired, creating a need for new power investments that would otherwise have been unnecessary. In this study we apply two partial equilibrium models (GCAM and TIAM-ECN) and two general equilibrium models (MEG4C and Phoenix) to identify possible pathways of power sector adaptation for Colombia under climate change.

Colombia has committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in 20% by 2030 with respect to business-as-usual in the COP21. One policy is the Renewable Energy (RE) law launched in 2014, aiming “to promote the development and use of non-conventional energy sources” with indirect incentives, such as tax reduction or exemptions. Direct incentives, such as price-based, are not included in the law. Experiences in other countries have proven that direct incentives are more efficient than indirect ones to promote RE.

There has been a growing interest in biofuel production to reduce oil dependence in the transportation sector. However, this has also sparked a debate on how the introduction of biofuels may jeopardize food security. In this paper we evaluate the effects of biofuel production on food security using system dynamics. First, we developed a system dynamics model to understand the long-term interaction between food production, biofuel production and livestock farming. Then, we calibrated and applied the model to the Colombian case.

The Island Operation Capability service allows operators to split the system (in case of an accident, for instance) and operate as an integral isolated subsystem. This, in turn, increases reliability, resilience, efficiency, and reduces restoration times after a blackout in the islands power systems. The provision of this kind of service from distributed energy resources has recently been introduced in different power systems. This paper outlines a proposal for the implementation of Island Operation Capability in the Colombian electricity market.

Applications of lab experiments to real-world phenomena are limited. We fill the gap by examining how gender attitudes and performance under competitive situations in the lab reflect microenterprise outcomes in the renewable energy sector of Rwanda – a country with progressive gender policies despite its traditional patriarchal setup. We use the standard Niederle and Vesterlund (2007) experimental design in addition to a unique dataset from off-grid microenterprises, managed by entrepreneurs who have been working in mixed and single-sex teams since 2016.