Bogota, Colombia | May 21, 2026
On May 7, Greenwood Energy (GWE), Libra Group’s renewable energy platform in Latin America, participated in the panel discussion “Examples of Gap-Closing Projects Based on Solar Energy Initiatives in Remote Regions”, held as part of the IV Infrastructure, Technology and Gap-Closing Summit organized by Colombia’s Financiera de Desarrollo Nacional (FDN).
During the session, GWE shared its experience developing energy projects alongside Indigenous communities in Colombia, presenting TERRɅ INITIɅTIVE as a pioneering model for an energy transition built on trust, community participation, and long-term territorial sustainability.
The panel was moderated by Enrique Cadena, Vice President of Structured Finance at FDN, and featured Camilo Patrignani, Head of Infrastructure at Libra Group and member of GWE’s Board of Directors.
During his remarks, Patrignani emphasized the importance of building energy models from within communities rather than through purely financial or regulatory frameworks: “This initiative emerged from the territory upward, not from financial or economic interests downward. Our relationship with the community did not begin as a requirement for an Environmental License, but from a place of trust, affection, respect, and mutual admiration. As the relationship deepened, the project gradually evolved into a shared vision, with each party contributing from its own perspective.”
Patrignani explained that TERRɅ INITIɅTIVE began in 2019 following a cultural and spiritual encounter with the Arhuaco People in Nabusimake, the ancestral capital of the community in Colombia’s Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. From that first spontaneous meeting, conversations around energy, history, and territorial development began to take shape, ultimately leading to a joint model that today includes 156 MW of solar capacity and the construction of three new Indigenous villages for more than 1,000 members of the community.
One of the project’s defining characteristics, Patrignani noted, has been the active and continuous participation of the community in strategic and technical decisions since the earliest stages of development: “The Arhuaco People never played a passive role in this project — quite the opposite. They participated in structural decisions ranging from the identification and selection of land to the routing of the transmission line and the layout of the solar plants. Each stage and challenge we worked through together strengthened the trust and conviction that unite us today.”
He also highlighted that the model incorporates long-term social and territorial sustainability mechanisms. Through an Environmental Fee charged per kilowatt-hour, TERRɅ allocates a percentage of project revenues to the Arhuaco People’s environmental preservation program, supporting the acquisition and recovery of more than 100,000 hectares of ancestral territory.
The panel also addressed the social, environmental, regulatory, and financial challenges associated with developing energy infrastructure in complex territories. On this topic, Patrignani stressed that community engagement must be understood as a long-term process rather than merely a regulatory requirement: “Building trust is a gradual process that cannot be rushed. It requires enormous effort and consistency from all parties involved. You need to understand the history, recognize the unique dynamics of each community, and build genuine relationships on solid foundations. It is practically like a marriage.”
The panel also featured Mauricio Posada, Development Manager at AES Colombia, and Mateo Mendoza, Partner at Mendoza Abogados, who shared perspectives on the challenges associated with structuring and developing energy projects in territories with high social and environmental complexity.
FDN’s IV Infrastructure, Technology and Gap-Closing Summit brought together leaders from the financial, legal, technology, and energy sectors to discuss infrastructure models capable of integrating sustainability, social development, and community participation.
GWE thanks FDN for the invitation to participate in these discussions, which represent an opportunity to contribute to new approaches for developing energy infrastructure across Latin America. In line with the company’s VISION 2030 strategy, Greenwood Energy plans to continue exploring energy transition models developed alongside Indigenous communities across different territories in Latin America, adapted to the social, cultural, and environmental realities of each community.