El Niño would cause reservoirs to drop below 30% and would create problems in the country's electrical system, according to XM.

According to the operator XM, the El Niño phenomenon is projected to cause Colombia's reservoir levels to fall below 30 percent, potentially leading to problems within the country's electrical system. This warning follows a period of strain in late September 2026, when Colombia narrowly avoided scheduled electricity rationing on September 28 and 29 as available generation capacity dropped to equal demand, even though aggregate reservoirs were near 80 percent capacity.

Looking ahead, the availability of electricity in Colombia could face renewed pressure during the first quarter of 2027. Reservoir levels and overall generation capacity will remain critical factors in meeting national energy demand under these challenging conditions.