From pv magazine LatAm
The Colombian government approved Decree 1033 of 2025, which establishes the Licencia Ambiental Solar con Diseño Optimizado (LASolar). The scheme applies to photovoltaic projects with capacities between 10 and 100 MW.
The government said the decree creates a new authorization process with shorter deadlines and specific environmental and social management criteria.
The regulation introduces a special procedure for utility-scale solar projects. It aims to reduce environmental processing times by up to 70%, with technical criteria tailored to each region and social management requirements tied to local communities.
The decree adds a new chapter to the current environmental regime that defines how licenses for solar projects in the 10 to 100 MW range should be processed.
From the planning stage, the Autoridad Nacional de Licencias Ambientales (ANLA) will verify that designs meet optimized criteria and will issue terms of reference within 15 days.
The decree sets clear deadlines. ANLA will have 5 business days to accept documents and 10 business days to request additional information if needed. Applicants will have up to 30 business days to respond, and ANLA will then have 10 business days to rule on the project’s viability.
The objective is to significantly shorten the approval timeline compared with the standard licensing process.
The regulation also requires each project to include a Social Management Strategy. This must guarantee community participation, respect for territories and culture, and compensation through local productive initiatives.
Environmental protections remain in place, with emphasis on water resources, forests, and biodiversity.
The decree is part of the 6 GW Plus strategy promoted by the Ministry of Mines and Energy to add more than 6,000 MW of renewable energy to the national power system.
ANLA estimates the new procedures could accelerate approvals by up to 70% compared with standard timeframes.
LASolar will operate as a special environmental licensing regime for solar parks in the 10 to 100 MW range and will coexist with traditional processes for other project sizes.
Colombia installed 1.6 GW of solar in 2024, bringing total capacity to 1.87 GW.
In September, the government launched a program to help low-income households deploy PV systems. The scheme seeks to enable vulnerable households to self-generate basic consumption, reduce tax burdens, and add solar capacity to the grid.
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