Key update in the environmental licensing process for wind energy projects.
The Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, , published Decree 1186 of 2025, which establishes the criteria for the Wind Environmental License (LAEólica) .
The published Decree retains everything that was proposed in the draft prepared by MADS, ANLA, and the Humboldt Institute. The most important aspects of this new regulation are as follows:
It stipulates the optimization of the Environmental License required for the development of wind power generation projects (LAEólica) with an installed capacity equal to or greater than ten (10) megawatts (MW) up to an installed capacity of less than or equal to one hundred (100) megawatts (MW), provided that meets the defined inclusion requirements; which include criteria related to environmental location, as well as the adoption of technology and design
It was established that, in order to process the LAEólica, the applicant must request from the National Authority of Environmental Licenses (ANLA) the specific terms of reference for the preparation of the project’s environmental impact study. These terms must be delivered within fifteen (15) business days following the filing of the request and will be valid for one year starting from the business day after their issuance.
Furthermore, the Decree establishes that, within the framework of the LAEólica, projects must include a social management strategy aimed at promoting economic, social, and environmental development in the region where the project will be implemented.
Likewise, the Decree stipulates that projects may be developed within forest reserve areas as long as they do not require new access routes or the opening of roads, and it sets out criteria for these to be considered low environmental impact and socially beneficial projects.
The Decree also includes the implementation of Energy Communities and productive linkages as forms of compensation for impacts on the biotic environment.
Furthermore, the main advancement of the Decree is the reduction in the duration of the environmental license procedure. First, once the administrative act initiating the procedure is issued, ANLA will have 15 business days to carry out the site visit. In contrast, under the Wind Environmental License (LAEólica), this visit must be conducted within 5 business days following the act that determines the need for the visit, resulting in a time efficiency gain of 10 business days.
On the other hand, in the ordinary procedure for issuing an environmental license, the environmental authority, once it has all the necessary information to make a substantive decision, has a maximum period of 30 business days to issue the administrative act granting or denying the license. In contrast, for the Wind Environmental License (LAEólica), ANLA has 15 business days to issue a substantive decision on the application, which represents a 50% reduction in the timeframe.
Finally, it is essential to emphasize that the issuance of the Decree outlines the prohibition of dual processing of environmental licenses, whether through the Regional Autonomous Corporations or ANLA. Therefore, applicants may withdraw their initial request for an ordinary environmental license and initiate the optimized procedure for obtaining the LAEólica.