LatinNews Daily - 11 January 2024

*Ecuador’s 137-member national assembly has approved an energy reform bill submitted by President Daniel Noboa’s government which aims to boost investment in the energy sector and boost clean energy production. The bill, which was approved with 131 votes in favour, was submitted to legislators shortly after Noboa took office in response to an energy crisis which forced the previous government led by Guillermo Lasso (2021-2023) to introduce rolling blackouts late last year. Among other things, the bill aims to increase the role of public-private partnerships in the energy sector, streamline the process for approving new renewable energy plants, and require drivers of combustion vehicles to contribute towards a national energy efficiency fund. It would also prohibit existing state-funded hydropower plants from being delegated to private companies, and aims to ensure that the industrial sector is guaranteed an energy supply during future energy shortages.