Atlas Renewable Energy on Latin America's Expanding Power Market

Latin America has become one of the most dynamic renewable energy regions globally, driven by growing electricity demand, abundant natural resources, and expanding solar and storage deployment. At SNEC 2026, Atlas Renewable Energy CEO Carlos Barrera spoke with TaiyangNews about emerging opportunities in the region, the growing role of battery storage, and how AI data centers could shape future power demand. Following is an edited transcript of the interview.

TaiyangNews: Greetings from TaiyangNews. I'm Michael Schmela, Managing Director, and we are here at SNEC 2026, with Carlos Barrera, CEO of Atlas Renewable Energy, a Latin America (Latam)-based developer and IPP. Carlos, what brings you to SNEC?

Carlos Barrera: To talk about Latam and the opportunities in the region. It has been growing steadily for solar, wind, and battery storage for many years, and we see a very interesting future ahead.

We see multiple areas of growth. There has been strong growth in commodities globally, with mining companies investing in lithium, iron ore, and other resources. Latin America is a resource-rich region where many of these investments are taking place.

The business-as-usual growth story is particularly interesting right now because of commodities. Beyond that, a major opportunity lies in AI data centers and the ability to supply them with power. There are two key aspects to this opportunity.

First, local demand in Latin America is significant. The region is home to around 700 million people, includes several industrialized economies, and has high digital adoption in countries such as Brazil, which alone has more than 200 million people.

Second, the US is experiencing a major data center boom, but also significant constraints. There is an opportunity to bring some of those AI data center investments to Latam, particularly where projects face grid connection challenges in the US.

In short, that is why I'm here.

TaiyangNews: But you're also here to source products for your projects, right?

Carlos Barrera: Absolutely. The Chinese supply chain has been fundamental to the renewable energy industry. What we want to do is explain the opportunities we see in Latin America and bring more suppliers and contractors into the region.

Many of them are already there, and we have been working with them for some time. The idea is to continue strengthening those relationships. We are the largest solar generator in the region, and our projected growth over the next few years is significant. We want to continue working with our Chinese suppliers and contractors as we expand our presence across Latin America.

TaiyangNews: What is your current operating capacity and what are your growth targets?

Carlos Barrera: We currently have about 10 GW in operation. We expect to add another 5 GW to 6 GW, potentially more, over the next 2 to 3 years.

TaiyangNews: Is that mostly solar, or does it also include storage?

Carlos Barrera: Historically, it was primarily solar. More recently, storage has become a major growth driver across Latin America. Today, almost every solar project we are evaluating in the region includes battery storage. The pipeline I mentioned will consist largely of solar and BESS projects. We also have wind projects and are exploring other technologies.

TaiyangNews: Let's talk about individual markets. Brazil has become one of the largest solar markets in the world. Mexico is also important, although development was slower under the previous administration. What do you see as the most attractive and dynamic markets today?

Carlos Barrera: Brazil is clearly the largest market in the region. From a data center perspective, we have already seen ByteDance establish a presence there. That makes Brazil a very attractive market for future data center growth.

Mexico has been relatively dormant over the past few years, but that is changing. The new administration appears willing to engage with the private sector, and we are seeing a significant shift in attitude. That could drive substantial growth in the market.

We are also active in Chile. It is a smaller market, but a very attractive one. Many companies are interested in Chile, which makes it highly competitive.

Those are the 3 markets we are primarily focused on. We also operate in Colombia, where we continue to see growth opportunities.

TaiyangNews: What do you see as the biggest obstacles today? The Brazilian market, for example, declined last year for the first time after a period of rapid growth.

Carlos Barrera: The biggest issue in Brazil has been curtailment. There has been significant deployment of solar and wind, but there is still no comprehensive battery storage regulatory framework. As a result, investment in batteries has lagged, creating challenges for the system.

This has led to more curtailment than necessary and contributed to the recent market slowdown. We believe battery storage, together with adjustments to certain dispatch rules, can address much of this issue. That remains the biggest obstacle.

Chile provides a useful example. A few years ago, the country introduced a regulatory framework for batteries, and the results were very positive.

Around 10 GW of battery storage has now been committed in Chile. Some of that capacity is already operational, some is under construction, and the rest has been committed. This has created a significant boost for the market.

We need to see similar developments across the region. We are already starting to see progress in Mexico, where battery regulations have been published.

Battery storage is a fundamental ingredient when renewable penetration increases. Batteries support grid stability and help manage variable generation.

TaiyangNews: Let's talk about financing. Is access to capital a challenge? When you come to China, would you like to see companies bring not only products, but also financing?

Carlos Barrera: It's always an important discussion. My view is that for the right projects, with the right sponsors, suppliers, and EPC contractors, capital is available.

You can find equity investors willing to invest, and you can also secure debt financing across the core markets in Latin America. The markets we operate in all have access to capital.

What is most important is ensuring that regulatory frameworks remain stable and allow markets to grow in a coherent and predictable way.

TaiyangNews: Thank you very much Carlos.

Carlos Barrera: Thank you very much.