Colombia's Stranded Watts
May 6, 2026
HYDRO SHARE
~70%
of Colombia's electricity from hydropower
STRANDED SURPLUS
~3 GW
estimated peak wet-season curtailable capacity
PARAGUAY MINING REVENUE
$50M+
annual crypto-related electricity sales via ANDE
US HASHRATE SHARE
~38%
global Bitcoin hashrate, down from ~40% as AI pivot accelerates
MINING ENERGY COST
$0.02–0.04
per kWh target for profitable industrial mining
Colombia Monthly Hydro Generation vs. Domestic Consumption
GWh — averaged 2019–2024 annual cycle. Source: UPME, XM Colombia
Hydro Generation
Domestic Consumption
Stranded Surplus Gap
WET SEASON (Apr–Jun, Oct–Nov)
+1,370 GWh avg surplus
22% curtailment risk — power that could mine Bitcoin
DRY SEASON (Jan–Feb, Jul–Aug)
−275 GWh avg deficit
Mining loads must be curtailable within hours
Sources: UPME (Colombia Mining & Energy Planning Unit) · Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance · IEA · ANDE Paraguay · IMF Article IV 2025
Key Questions
Data sources
Colombia electricity generation & surplus data· UPME — Unidad de Planeación Minero Energética (Colombia)XM Colombia grid operator — real-time generation reports· XM S.A. E.S.P.Global Bitcoin Mining Map — hashrate geography· Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF)Paraguay ANDE mining tariff and Itaipu surplus policy· ANDE — Administración Nacional de Electricidad (Paraguay)IEA electricity prices by country and sector· International Energy AgencyIMF Article IV Consultation — Colombia 2025· International Monetary FundBitcoin mining profitability thresholds and energy cost benchmarks· Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance — CBECIEl Salvador Volcano Energy state mining project· LaGaceta El Salvador / Reuters