Northern regions show the most substantial reductions, with Antofagasta leading at 11%, followed by Atacama at 10.2% and Arica y Parinacota at 9.9%. Tarapacá registers 7.4%, while Valparaíso and Coquimbo record 8.5% and 8.4% respectively. Central and south-central regions demonstrate more modest decreases: Metropolitan Region 4%, O’Higgins 2.7%, Maule 3.4%, Ñuble 4.2%, Biobío 3.7%, Araucanía 3.9%, and Aysén 2.4%.
Three regions face tariff increases rather than reductions. Los Ríos and Los Lagos will experience 5.5% increases attributed to delays in expanding the Cautín-Ciruelos transmission line infrastructure. The ministry emphasized this situation underscores the urgency of transmission projects, particularly in southern regions where infrastructure limitations directly impact pricing. Magallanes faces a 2.4% increase under different circumstances, as the region operates independently from the National Electric System (SEN). Its tariff formula indexes to fuel costs, Chile’s Consumer Price Index, and U.S. inflation, making it subject to distinct market forces.
The Coquimbo region demonstrates internal variation, with the commune of Coquimbo itself projected for a 10.42% reduction, while La Higuera shows only 6.58%, illustrating how transmission and distribution factors create localized pricing differences even within single regions. Minister Rincón emphasized the preliminary nature of current figures, with the definitive report scheduled for November publication. The ministry expects the downward trend to hold and potentially exceed the initially projected 4.3% national average when final calculations are complete.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
