In 2005, Bolivia had 1.4 gigawatts of installed electricity generating capacity. The bulk of this capacity consists of conventional thermal plants, with hydroelectricity providing the balance. Bolivia’s projected generation for 2005 was 5 billion kilowatt-hours (Bkwh) and consumption was 4.2 Bkwh. This does not include electricity generated in rural areas from biomass facilities, which are unorganized, decentralized, and difficult to quantify.

Unlike most South American countries, Bolivia is not heavily dependent upon hydropower for its electricity supply. In 2005, Bolivia had 460 megawatts (MW) of installed hydroelectric capacity spread amongst some 21 facilities throughout the country. CORANI operates the largest facility, the 93-MW Saint Isabel plant.

Bolivia had 960 MW of installed conventional thermal generating capacity in 2005. All of this capacity primarily burns natural gas, though a few plants also use diesel as a backup fuel. EGSA operates the 290-MW GuaracachiI facility, the largest in the country. Other important facilities include the 130-MW Carrasco, operated by Empresa Eléctrica Valle Hermoso (EVH) and the 120-MW Bulo Bulo, operated by Compania Eléctrica Central Bulo Bulo (CECBB).

In 1994, Bolivia privatized the state-owned electricity system, Empresa Nacional de Electricidad, S.A. (ENDE), unbundling generation, transmission, and distribution activities. The law forbids any single company from operating in more than one of these principal activities. The government also established ENDE as the principle regulator of the sector. The country has two principle electricity systems: the Sistema Interconectado Nacional (SIN) and the Aislado. The SIN connects major population centers and represents 83 percent of installed capacity. The Aislado system consists of numerous autoproducers and independent power plants in rural or isolated areas not served by the SIN.