-- Bolivia's government presented a proposed energy bill, the Electricity and Renewable Energy Law, aimed at overhauling the current national electricity system, the Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Energy said in a statement on Friday.
It aims to expand investments and strengthen energy security, create a regulatory framework to support the country's long-term economic development, and energy transition.
The bill will set up a new framework in which Bolivia's state-owned national electricity company, Empresa Nacional de Electricidad, will retain its role as operator, but under "conditions of competition" with the private sector, the statement said.
The legislation includes measures to promote responsible public and private investment in the energy sector, modernize institutional oversight, accelerate infrastructure and generation projects, and guarantee a more reliable electricity supply across the country.
It will also create an independent body, the Energy Regulatory Entity, to check conflicts of interest and ensure transparency and regulatory compliance.
Competitive mechanisms will also be introduced through public auctions for efficient pricing structures and to boost electricity service quality.
The proposal is also intended to support Bolivia's transition toward a more diversified and sustainable energy matrix while expanding access to energy services for households and productive sectors.
Authorities described the initiative as part of a broader economic model focused on institutional stability, development and public welfare.
"This law is not a technical adjustment," the government said in presenting the bill. "Bolivia has the resources to lead its own energy transformation; what was lacking was the regulatory framework to make it possible," the statement read.
The formal submission of the bill begins what the government called a nationwide consultation and review process.
The proposal will undergo technical analysis by the Economic and Social Policy Analysis Unit and the National Economic and Social Policy Council, followed by debate in the Plurinational Legislative Assembly.