ACENOR Proposes Regulatory Reforms to Cut Electricity Costs Up to 15% for Chile’s Non-Regulated Clients

The Association of Non-Regulated Electric Customers (ACENOR), representing Chilean free customers with connected capacities between 300 kW and 5,000 kW, formally submitted an agenda to the Ministry of Energy advocating substantial reforms to the electricity market. The agenda focuses on addressing accumulated market distortions that have shifted disproportionate risk and costs onto end users, constraining their ability to manage expenses and threatening national economic competitiveness. At a meeting with Minister Ximena Rincón and Subsecretary Hugo Briones, ACENOR’s leadership outlined key inefficiencies responsible for inflated tariffs affecting industrial, mining, and transportation sectors.

Central to ACENOR’s proposals are reforms in electricity transmission charges, adjustments to pricing frameworks for Small Distributed Generation (Pequeños Medios de Generación Distribuida, PMGD), improvements to the capacity market, and optimization of ancillary services. ACENOR estimates these measures could lower costs by between 10 and 15 US$/MWh, translating into a 10% to 15% reduction in final bills for non-regulated clients, who negotiate supply contracts directly with generators or retailers outside of regulated tariffs.

The association views these changes as critical for creating a more competitive and efficient electricity market capable of delivering reliable and cost-effective power supplies to Chile’s productive economy. ACENOR emphasized readiness to collaborate closely with the Ministry of Energy to advance a regulatory framework that places end users at the center of policy. This initiative aligns with broader drivers of Chile’s energy transition, where cost efficiency is increasingly vital amid rising electrification in mining and other key industries. Without reforms, ACENOR warns that systemic distortions will sustain overcosts detrimental to investment and sectoral growth.