Roundup: Transmission deal, distributed generation, AES rating

Coca Codo Sinclair, the Ecuadorian state company behind the 1.5GW same-name hydro project, announced it signed an agreement with capital Quito power utility EEQ to finance transmission works in Sucumbíos province. The US$5mn project includes the Lumbaqui substation and associated line due ready in June next year that will benefit 45,000 clients. *** Costa Rica's state power company ICE reported that as of May it had received 48 requests totaling 225kW to participate in a pilot project to allow homes and industry to install small, renewable energy systems for self-supply. Of the 225kW, 179kW were connected and the rest were in the process of being installed. The majority of the 48 projects are PV (43), followed by hybrid systems (2 PV/wind, 1PV/hydro) and wind and hydro (1 each). *** And Fitch downgraded AES Puerto Rico's senior bonds to BB and revised the outlook to stable from negative. "The downgrade to BB reflects sustained performance issues despite management's efforts, increased operating costs related to corrective maintenance and repairs to address forced outages," the rating agency said in a report.