The most recent private sector venture was the December 1999 inauguration of the San Jos Power Station, Central America's largest coal-fired power plant. The law also specifies that service rates will be freely negotiated between providers and users with no government interference. Under the terms of the new legislation, the governing body of the sector will be a superintendency working under the auspices of the Ministry of Communications and Energy. The superintendency provides guidelines for the industry. Guatemala's current installed electrical capacity, nearly 60 per cent generated by thermal units, is nearly 1,200 Mega Watts and demand is approaching 1,000 Mega Watts.
Excess production is sold to neighboring El Salvador and Honduras.