El Salvador placed technological innovation at the center of its energy strategy during the 2026 Annual Meeting of Senior Executives organized by the Regional Committee of CIER for Central America and the Caribbean. For the first time, the regional gathering was hosted in the country, where the state-owned transmission company ETESAL presented its advances in artificial intelligence to representatives of 48 power sector institutions.
Rather than treating artificial intelligence as a distant goal, ETESAL is already applying it to automate complex network simulations and long-term expansion planning. Carlos Saravia, deputy head of planning at the company, emphasized the urgency of adopting these tools. “Artificial intelligence is no longer the future, it is the present,” he said, highlighting how digital models now process multiple demand and operational scenarios to guide investment decisions.
The strategy comes at a time when El Salvador is experiencing sustained growth in renewable energy projects, particularly solar generation. According to ETESAL, new interconnection requests are received weekly, requiring a more dynamic and predictive approach to planning. By analyzing how the system behaves under different seasonal and hourly conditions, engineers can anticipate overloads and reinforce transmission lines before disruptions occur. “If we understand how our system behaves, we can predict future problems,” Saravia noted.
El Salvador’s transmission system currently spans approximately 1,400 kilometers of lines and 28 substations operating at 115 and 230 kilovolts. With installed generation capacity nearing 2,570 megawatts and projected to approach 3,000 megawatts as new projects come online, modernization has become essential. ETESAL President Edwin Núñez underscored the broader significance of the transformation. “We used to import energy; now we export,” he stated, describing the transmission grid as a strategic national asset.
Beyond planning, artificial intelligence is also strengthening day-to-day operations. ETESAL is deploying predictive models to detect equipment anomalies, analyze data networks, and automate control system configurations. The shift from corrective maintenance to prevention reflects a broader ambition: building a resilient, data-driven grid capable of supporting a diversified energy matrix and deeper regional integration. For U.S. observers, El Salvador’s approach signals how smaller energy markets can leverage advanced technology to accelerate their transition and enhance competitiveness.