Paraguay faces a race against time to avert a predicted energy crisis by 2030, when domestic consumption is expected to reach the total production limit of the Itaipú, Yacyretá, and Acaray plants. The warning was issued by specialist engineer Fabián Cáceres, who criticized government inaction and delays in investments by the National Electricity Administration (ANDE).
Cáceres stated that growing demand and the effects of climate change, such as droughts that reduce hydroelectric generation, are accelerating the arrival of this critical scenario. He emphasized that the country has no ongoing bidding for new generating units, as foreseen in ANDE's own master plan, whose financial health is deteriorating. Additionally, transmission infrastructure is outdated and unable to carry energy from the dams to the metropolitan region, the largest consumer.
The specialist was categorical in assessing negotiations with Brazil over Itaipú's Annex C, calling the pursuit of extraordinary benefits "a utopia." He argued that the ideal political moment for negotiation has passed, as increased Paraguayan consumption has reduced Brazil's advantage in using nearly all the surplus energy. "Most likely, next year both countries will use equal shares of production. We've already missed the boat," he concluded.
Meanwhile, in Argentina, a new movement seeks to revive a binational project that could positively impact Paraguay's electrical system. A deputy from Misiones province, Martín Arjol, introduced a legislative proposal to call a plebiscite on building the Corpus Christi hydroelectric plant. The goal is to reverse the popular rejection that occurred in 1996 and advance with construction on the Paraná River at the Pindo'i site, above Yacyretá.
The Corpus Christi project has a planned capacity of 2,880 MW and could generate 10% of Argentina's energy. If realized, this new dam would strengthen shared generation capacity with Paraguay. Deputy Arjol argues that the region's critical energy scenario justifies a new consultation, stating that the situation has changed since Yacyretá's construction. However, the project faces concerns from environmental organizations about its ecosystem impact, primarily on the Argentine side.
Meanwhile, Fabián Cáceres warns that Paraguay's window of opportunity to prepare is closing. He calls on the Executive Branch to create a unified command to centralize the crisis, prioritize projects, and apply urgent technical solutions in generation, transmission, and distribution. "There is not a single second to lose. This is the last opportunity we have; in fact, the time was since yesterday," he emphasized, predicting that last-minute solutions in 2030 will have a gigantic cost and bring severe setbacks to the country's development.