Chile begins diagnosis of electricity generation and prepares roadmap for future changes

The Chilean Ministry of Energy has launched a diagnostic process for the electricity generation segment, with the aim of identifying the main challenges of the sector and establishing a roadmap to guide decisions and possible modifications during the coming years.

The initiative was presented during the seminar “Generating diagnosis: context and challenges”, led by the Minister of Energy, Ximena Rincón , and with the participation of representatives from different areas of the electricity industry.

During the meeting, the official acknowledged the need to update the segment's operation in light of changes in generation technologies and the entry of new players into the market.

“Clearly, we have to resolve a series of challenges that are present today in the generation segment that were not present before. Because energy is produced differently, it is produced by different actors, and that forces us to broaden our perspective,” Rincón stated.

The process will seek to gather and systematize existing studies, analyses, and proposals prepared by public agencies, technical entities, companies, trade associations, consumers, and academic representatives. The intention is to leverage available background information, identify points of agreement, and determine which aspects require further discussion.

To advance this work, the Ministry defined six priority areas : energy transition, security of supply, demand and electrification, market design, project development and operation of the electrical system.

Working groups will be organized around these areas to exchange background information, assess current difficulties, and develop proposals with the participation of the various stakeholders involved.

For his part, the Undersecretary of Energy, Hugo Briones , emphasized that the Government will be in charge of coordinating the process and systematizing its conclusions, although he stressed the importance of industry participation.

“As a Ministry, our responsibility is to lead the process, systematize the results, and see the broad spectrum of the issue; however, the quality of the roadmap depends on the commitment and experience of those involved in the electrical system,” he stated.

The Electricity Generation Agenda will advance in parallel with the network reform bill, although both initiatives will have different and complementary scopes.

While the grid reform will seek to improve the conditions for planning, expansion and use of the electrical infrastructure, the generation agenda will focus on issues related to the reliability of supply, the incorporation of new technologies, market rules, project execution, system operation and the increase in energy demand.