Water is a critical resource for the electricity sector, particularly for hydropower generation, which relies on accurate and reliable hydrological data for efficient operation and planning. The measurement, estimation, and reporting of hydrological variables—such as river flow, reservoir levels, and turbine discharge—are essential for managing water resources, optimizing energy production, ensuring regulatory compliance, and supporting grid reliability. 

Colombia is experimenting a significant transformation in the electricity sector, with ambitious goals for increasing renewable energy sources levels in the national grid, including solar, wind, and maintaining hydropower energy. As the country increase its variable renewable energy sources (VRES), accurate and granular weather and hydrological data becomes a critical enabler for ensuring energy sufficiency, grid stability and efficient operation. 

The transition to a more sustainable and resilient energy system requires real-time and high-resolution hydrological and meteorological data to improve forecasting, integrate renewable energy sources, and enhance water resource management under changing climatic conditions. The current regulation associated with hydropower generation (CREG Resolution 025 of 1995) establishes a daily hydrological data reporting timing. However, daily timing for hydrological reporting may not be enough for energy planning under high climate variability scenarios, especially in the context of a system with a considerable component of hydroelectric generation with no regulating reservoirs (minor plants or under 20MW despatching).  

In the context of the energy transition, CREG Resolution 060 of 2019 establishes requirements for reporting operational meteorological data associated with solar and wind power generation with high temporal resolution. In that sense, existing measurement and reporting systems vary widely across power generation technologies (solar, wind and hydro), with differences in instrumentation, data quality, reporting frequency, and uncertainty levels. These discrepancies can lead to an impact in energy planning, safety operations, and regulatory oversight. 

In order to enhance transparency, accuracy and consistency in the sector, and given these challenges for the safe and reliable system operation under high variability and climate change scenarios, there is a pressing need to establish standardized guidelines for measuring, estimating, and reporting hydrological variables to ensure high-quality, reliable, and comparable data across the sector. 

Water is a critical resource for the electricity sector, particularly for hydropower generation, which relies on accurate and reliable hydrological data for efficient operation and planning. The measurement, estimation, and reporting of hydrological variables—such as river flow, reservoir levels, and turbine discharge—are essential for managing water resources, optimizing energy production, ensuring regulatory compliance, and supporting grid reliability.

Colombia is experimenting a significant transformation in the electricity sector, with ambitious goals for increasing renewable energy sources levels in the national grid, including solar, wind, and maintaining hydropower energy. As the country increase its variable renewable energy sources (VRES), accurate and granular weather and hydrological data becomes a critical enabler for ensuring energy sufficiency, grid stability and efficient operation.

The transition to a more sustainable and resilient energy system requires real-time and high-resolution hydrological and meteorological data to improve forecasting, integrate renewable energy sources, and enhance water resource management under changing climatic conditions. The current regulation associated with hydropower generation (CREG Resolution 025 of 1995) establishes a daily hydrological data reporting timing. However, daily timing for hydrological reporting may not be enough for energy planning under high climate variability scenarios, especially in the context of a system with a considerable component of hydroelectric generation with no regulating reservoirs (minor plants or under 20MW despatching).

In the context of the energy transition, CREG Resolution 060 of 2019 establishes requirements for reporting operational meteorological data associated with solar and wind power generation with high temporal resolution. In that sense, existing measurement and reporting systems vary widely across power generation technologies (solar, wind and hydro), with differences in instrumentation, data quality, reporting frequency, and uncertainty levels. These discrepancies can lead to an impact in energy planning, safety operations, and regulatory oversight.

In order to enhance transparency, accuracy and consistency in the sector, and given these challenges for the safe and reliable system operation under high variability and climate change scenarios, there is a pressing need to establish standardized guidelines for measuring, estimating, and reporting hydrological variables to ensure high-quality, reliable, and comparable data across the sector.