Over the past few decades, Central American countries have seen a steady increase in their energy needs. Luckily, the region has abundant renewable energy resources and, as a result, has been busy constructing wind and photovoltaic power facilities. However, while these renewable sources are promising, they come with some risks—mainly, their variable power generation can pose a challenge to the interconnected regional system. This paper explores the current state of the Central American power system and the obstacles it faces as it strives to transition to a more environmentally-friendly energy system. To do so, the authors employed power flow analysis and transient stability studies, which were conducted using ETAP (Electrical Transient Analyzer Program) to model and simulate the power system. Their study revealed that the Central American power system is at risk of instability, and they suggest that integrating ancillary services and storage solutions could strengthen its resilience. Additionally, the authors advocate for the development of microgrids, energy management, and sustainable decarbonization plans. Lastly, the authors emphasize the importance of short-, medium-, and long-term power planning to make better decisions.

[Introduction]: In July 2023 was announced the end of planetary warming and the beginning of the era of the global boiling. A climatic anomaly whose unprecedented, aggressiveness will hit the Central American region. [Methodology]: Through technological surveillance tools and data analytics, this study shows a series of challenges and opportunities to meet this threat and move towards resilient regional performance. [Results]: All countries have signed agreements and declaratory public policies for the climate resilience, however historical failures persist as well environmental passives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the strong dependence for the use of fossil energy. In contrast, Central America enjoys a matrix of opportunities to increase the climatic ambition, also a diverse mix of renewable energy sources, environmental pay mechanisms and actions to impulse circular economy and the bioeconomy [Conclusions]: The regional agenda fail in connect to a climate shielding to respond the rigors of the boiling era. Regarding those balances, and the scientific evidence, a road map, with climate smart and socially inclusive actions, is proposed. [Recommendations]: For the monitoring, research, and education programs on the boiling era, a regional observatory, on climate resilience (OR2C), is recommended.

The integration of renewable energy sources into electrical power systems presents enormous challenges in technical terms, especially with energy storage. Battery electrochemical storage systems (BESSs) are becoming a crucial solution for reducing the intermittency of renewable energy supply and enhance the stability of power networks. Nonetheless, its extensive implementation confronts constraints, including expense, life expectancy, and energy efficiency. Simultaneously, these technologies present prospects for improved energy management, increase the hosting capacity of renewable energy, and diminish reliance on fossil fuels. This paper investigates the obstacles of integrating electrochemical storage into electrical power systems, explores solutions to use its promise for creating more resilient and sustainable grids, and presents a method for the size estimation and strategic allocation of electrochemical energy storage systems (EESSs). The aim is to improve grid voltage profiles, manage demand response, increase the adoption of renewable energy resources, enhance power transfer among various areas, and subsequently improve the stability of a power system during large disturbances. The methodology utilizes a multi-stage optimization process based on economic considerations supported by dynamic simulation. This methodology was tested employing a validated dynamic model of the Interconnected Electrical System of the Central American Countries (SIEPAC). The system experienced multiple significant blackouts in recent years, primarily due to the increasing amount of renewable energy generation without adequate inertial support and limited power transfer capabilities among countries. Based on the results of using the technique, EESSs can effectively lower the risk of instability caused by an imbalance between power generation and demand during extreme situations, as seen in past event reports. Based on economical constraints, it has been determined that the cost of installing EESSs for the SIEPAC, which amounts to 1200 MWh/200 MW, is 140.91 USD/MWh.

The energy transition in Ibero-American countries demands significant diversification, yet the vast potential of offshore renewable energies (ORE) remains largely untapped. Slow adoption is often attributed to the hostile marine environment, high investment costs, and a lack of institutional, regulatory, and industrial readiness. A critical barrier for policymakers is the absence of methodologically robust tools to assess national preparedness. Existing indices typically rely on simplistic weighting schemes or are susceptible to known flaws, such as the rank reversal phenomenon, which undermines their credibility for strategic decision-making. This study addresses this gap by developing a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) framework based on a problem-specific synthesis of established optimization principles to construct a comprehensive Offshore Readiness Index (ORI) for 13 Ibero-American countries. The framework moves beyond traditional methods by employing an advanced weight-elicitation model rooted in the Robust Ordinal Regression (ROR) paradigm to analyze 42 sub-criteria across five domains: Regulation, Planning, Resource, Industry, and Grid. Its methodological core is a non-linear objective function that synergistically combines a Shannon entropy term to promote a maximally unbiased weight distribution and to prevent criterion exclusion, with an epistemic regularization penalty that anchors the solution to expert-derived priorities within each domain. The model is guided by high-level hierarchical constraints that reflect overarching policy assumptions, such as the primacy of Regulation and Planning, thereby ensuring strategic alignment. The resulting ORI ranks Spain first, followed by Mexico and Costa Rica. Spain’s leadership is underpinned by its exceptional performance in key domains, supported by specific enablers, such as a dedicated renewable energy roadmap. The optimized block weights validate the model’s structure, with Regulation (0.272) and Electric Grid (0.272) receiving the highest importance. In contrast, lower-ranked countries exhibit systemic deficiencies across multiple domains. This research offers a dual contribution: methodological innovation in readiness assessment and an actionable tool for policy instruments. The primary policy conclusion is clear: robust regulatory frameworks and strategic planning are the pivotal enabling conditions for ORE development, while industrial capacity and infrastructure are consequent steps that must follow, not precede, a solid policy foundation.

Se presentan los resultados de una investigación basada en vigilancia tecnológica, de carácter documental comparativa y con perspectiva de prospectiva, sobre los avances y brechas para la implementación de la cadena de suministro para el desarrollo y futuro aprovechamiento de la energía eólica marina en Costa Rica. Esta economía emergente se ha destacado, internacionalmente, por asumir y liderar compromisos significativos con los ODS, con la acción climática y con la descarbonización de la economía. Por lo tanto, resulta fundamental mantener la visión energética 100% renovable, pero también incentivar la inclusión, diversificada y progresiva, de energía no convencional, como el viento marino. Los hallazgos confirman los múltiples y significativos desafíos que Costa Rica debe enfrentar y superar para la planificación, construcción y operación de plantas eólicas marinas. De la misma forma en que el país planificó el uso de recursos energéticos continentales, deberá hacerlo con el desarrollo patrimonio de energía marina.