Why Clean Firm Power, Why Now? AI, data centers, and industrial decarbonization are transforming power demand. LATAM’s competitiveness depends on delivering reliable, clean baseload.
The World Bank Senior Energy Specialist for Colombia, Mexico, and VenezuelaModerator
Public Sector Leadership Roundtable – National Ambitions for Energy Security and Economic Competitiveness
Regional leaders share national ambitions, approaches to increasing energy security and economic/digital competitiveness. How do these fit within fiscal realities and what regulatory developments will build a path to success? Looking at market design, cross-border integration, and frameworks that enable digital-energy partnerships.
The World Bank Energy Practice Manager for Latin America and the CaribbeanModerator
Networking
The Digital Offtake Opportunity
Hyperscalers and data centers are and will dramatically increase demand for power across Latin America and the Caribbean.
This session will explore how hyperscalers and data centers are prioritizing their energy procurement strategies and which clean technologies best align with their operational needs. Are current policy and regulatory frameworks providing sufficient support for long-term, reliable energy access? Can digital growth be matched with long-term PPAs that ensure both reliability and sustainability? And beyond power supply, can heat recovery and direct-use applications open new value streams for the region?
Technology Showcase: From Vision to Scale: Meeting the Region’s Clean Firm Power and Digital Demand
Latin America’s nuclear legacy is moving toward a new generation of modular and flexible technologies. What role could small modular reactors (SMRs) play in supplying clean, round-the-clock power for grids, industry, and digital facilities? How can regional cooperation and regulatory innovation accelerate adoption while addressing safety and finance concerns?
Technology Showcase: From Vision to Scale: Meeting the Region’s Clean Firm Power and Digital Demand
The region’s renewable wealth positions it to become a global player in hydrogen production, but bankability and offtake remain key barriers. What’s needed to move beyond pilot projects and realize the potential of green hydrogen to support grids and growing industry energy demands?
Technology Showcase: From Vision to Scale: Meeting the Region’s Clean Firm Power and Digital Demand
Geothermal stands out as a proven clean baseload solution capable of meeting 24/7 energy needs for digital infrastructure, industrial clusters, and critical facilities. How can new financing structures, and collaboration with the oil & gas expertise, drive faster development? What regional steps are needed to position geothermal as the preferred clean firm power for data centers and AI-driven growth and industry?
Long-Duration Energy Storage (LDES) – Can it Deliver Reliability for the Region’s Abundant Intermittent Resources?
Technology Showcase: From Vision to Scale: Meeting the Region’s Clean Firm Power and Digital Demand
Latin America and the Caribbean boast world-class solar and wind potential—but intermittency remains a structural barrier to 24/7 reliability. Can long-duration storage provide the missing link to stabilize grids and power digital and industrial growth? How can LDES technologies—pumped hydro, compressed air, thermal, and advanced batteries—fit regional conditions, and how policy and market frameworks can unlock investment to pair renewables with round-the-clock, firm energy delivery.
