Problem

The Government of Panama has committed to prioritising energy security and the diversification of the energy mix in its transition to a low-carbon economy. By 2030, Panama’s Energy Transition Agenda (ATE) plans to reach 1700 MW installed distributed generation (DG) capacity in 2030, creating up to 3000 jobs in DG installation alone. However, the private sector in Panama has expressed concern about the lack of technical capacity in the country.

Vehicle importers are expected to meet a goal of 25%-40% private EVs in 2030, but have identified a risk that the country will not have enough personnel to maintain them. Many municipalities also do not have sufficiently trained personnel with technical skills to guarantee the installations that would provide security for the development and growth of the technology.

Responses

In 2022 the National Energy Secretariat (SNE) of Panama, together with the technical cooperation of the Inter-American Development Bank, embarked on a training programme for clean energy. Collaborating with the country’s two main educational institutions and the private sector, SNE is retraining mechanics and technicians from traditional energy sector areas in new capacities on electro-mobility and distributed generation, especially for maintenance of EVs, distributed energy installation and EV charging stations. 

To allow future employment pipeline, the programmes are designed based on private sector demands. The programme will also have an expanded diversity approach, prioritising marginalised communities such as women, people with disabilities, and the elderly, along with current workers in the fossil fuel sector. Virtual and mobile classroom formats are adopted to expand the reach and allow scaling up.

Find out more: International Energy Agency (p18-20)