This report describes and compares trends in energy efficiency, renewables and energy access in 14 Latin American and Caribbean countries.1 It aims at contributing to the monitoring of SDG 7 indicators but goes beyond the indicators usually considered for this monitoring, especially in the field of energy efficiency monitoring. The analysis is based on indicators prepared by sector (energy, transport, industrial, residential, services and agriculture) under the BIEE project (“Base de Información de Eficiencia Energética”) of the Division of Natural Resources and Infrastructure of ECLAC.

The report was prepared by Bruno Lapillonne and Laura Sudries from Enerdata in close cooperation with ADEME, with the support of the French Development Agency (AFD), through the EUROCLIMA programme of the European commission, which aims to support countries in the Latin American and Caribbean region.

The main conclusions and findings are summarized below in the three areas of SDG 7.

Energy access • In 12 out of the 14 countries reviewed over 93% of households had access to electricity in 2018. In Nicaragua and El Salvador, the two countries with the lowest level (89% in 2018), the rate of electrification is progressing rapidly (+9 and 7 points since 2010).

• Access to clean cooking technologies remains a challenge in Nicaragua (only 55% of households with such access) and, to a lesser extent, Paraguay (67%) and Peru (74%). These three countries are gradually catching up, with a high progression since 2010 (around +10-15 points).Renewables • The highest progression of renewables in the final consumption is observed in Uruguay (+8% points) due to the increasing use of biomass in industry, followed by Panama and Ecuador (+5 points). The share of renewables “heat” (mainly cooking) has decreased in most countries. In half of countries, it is not balanced by the penetration of renewable electricity.