Venezuela Partners With General Electric to Rebuild Power Grid

Tue Jun 16 2026 19:56:11 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Interim president signs U.S. agreement to restore electricity amid chronic outages, opening door to foreign investment.

In a landmark move, interim President Delcy Rodríguez announced an agreement with the U.S. energy company General Electric to overhaul Venezuela’s failing power grid. The deal signals a strategic shift toward a more open economy and suggests that foreign expertise could restore the essential service that has been repeatedly disrupted for months. While critics caution that key state institutions still sit firmly under the former ruling party, the partnership brings new funding, technology and training to a system that has suffered from decades of neglect. The gesture follows the appointment of electrical engineer Rolando Alcalá as Minister of Energy, a change that many view as a necessary step to fix the grid. With the power sector improved, the government hopes to lay groundwork for broader economic recovery amid a complex political landscape.

Venezuela Partners With General Electric to Rebuild Power Grid

Interim President Delcy Rodríguez announced an agreement with the U.S. energy giant General Electric to overhaul Venezuela’s failing electricity network. The deal signals a shift from the previous administration’s closed economy model to a more open stance that could attract foreign investment.

Rodríguez, who assumed office after U.S. forces removed former leader Nicolás Maduro, said the partnership would restore a vital public service. The electricity grid, nationalised under former president Hugo Chávez, has been crippled by long outages, often lasting more than ten hours.

Critics note that while the power sector may be loosening, key government institutions—including the judiciary and electoral council—remain dominated by Maduro loyalists. Nonetheless, the marriage of U.S. expertise and Venezuelan urgency could renew the country’s capacity to fuel businesses and households.

General Electric’s local branch, Vernova, will provide equipment, technical training and infrastructure investment. The agreement follows the appointment of electrical engineer Rolando Alcalá as minister of energy, a move praised for its promise to address a grid that has been neglected for years.

Beyond power, the administration’s cooperation with Washington extends to security operations and trade talks, although opposition voices argue that deeper democratic reforms are essential before sustained investment will flow.