The inclusion of the project in the Annual Operational Investment Program (POAI) was the central topic of the UIS Superior Council’s July meeting. The initiative aims to ensure the University’s energy capacity, meet growing demand, and advance toward a more sustainable and innovative energy model.
Ensuring a reliable energy supply to support institutional growth, reducing the University’s carbon footprint, and strengthening sustainability are among the objectives of the Energy Distribution System for UIS Regional Campuses project. Its incorporation into the Annual Operational Investment Program (POAI)—the instrument that brings together the Institution’s strategic investment projects—was the main focus of the July session of the UIS Superior Council.
A Future-Oriented Energy Project for UIS
The initiative will strengthen the University’s energy infrastructure through a more efficient, reliable system designed to meet current and future needs, while creating new opportunities for innovation, research, and learning.
Professor Manuel Ortiz, who participated in the project’s technical design, explained that the proposal offers three key benefits for the Institution.
“This project has three main features. First, it will achieve full backup capacity. Second, it will generate surplus energy that the University can export, creating an additional source of revenue. Third, it includes a voluntary interruptible demand agreement that will allow the University to use its infrastructure to self-supply electricity whenever necessary,” he said.
Ortiz emphasized that the project was designed with a long-term perspective, taking into account historical energy consumption trends and projected growth in the University’s infrastructure.
“We conducted a comprehensive analysis of energy consumption and included future loads, such as the new building for the Faculty of Physical-Mechanical Engineering and the upgrades planned for other campus buildings. This allows us to ensure the capacity needed to support the University’s continued growth,” he stated.
Four Years of Support for Public Higher Education
During the meeting, Nicolás Corzo, the National Government’s representative on the UIS Superior Council, reviewed the progress made over the past four years in strengthening public higher education and highlighted the achievements of UIS.
“Over the past four years, UIS has doubled its first-semester enrollment. We went from nearly 4,000 to more than 8,000 new students, and today the University serves more than 25,000 undergraduate students. We achieved our goal of expanding access, fulfilling our commitment to the people of Santander and to the Industrial University of Santander,” he said.
He also highlighted regional expansion as one of the National Government’s key priorities, supported by the Superior Council.
“One of our main goals was to bring UIS to regions where this educational opportunity did not previously exist. Today, we can say that the University will reach areas such as Saravena, Puerto Carreño, and Guainía, providing high-quality higher education to communities that previously had no access to these opportunities,” he concluded.
With this initiative, UIS continues to build an infrastructure prepared for the challenges of the future while reaffirming its commitment to sustainability, innovation, and the strengthening of public higher education.
