ACENOR’s transmission concerns extend to open access rules for dedicated lines. The regulatory framework permits third parties to request access to transmission infrastructure originally built to supply specific industrial operations when technical capacity exists. The association argued that implementation must protect supply continuity and security for entities that developed or originally contracted those networks. The tension reflects broader questions about asset utilization as Chile’s transmission system expands to integrate variable renewable generation concentrated in northern solar zones and southern wind corridors.
On energy storage, ACENOR called for revised remuneration rules for battery systems entering the National Electric System. The association stated that regulatory design must prevent overpayments and ensure benefits generated by batteries transfer effectively to consumers. Battery installations allow energy storage during peak solar generation hours for discharge at night when demand rises and photovoltaic output drops. ACENOR contends this load shifting should yield system efficiency gains and lower costs for electricity-intensive productive activities, rather than create additional revenue streams absorbed by storage operators without commensurate consumer benefit.
The association also proposed permanently excluding September from the period used to control peak demand hours and adding April from 2027 onward. This adjustment aims to align the control mechanism with current grid conditions and prevent consumers from adopting operational measures or demand reduction during months when maximum consumption control is unnecessary.
The Commission reaffirmed efficiency as a guiding criterion and invited ACENOR to submit methodological improvement proposals in regulatory processes affecting the association’s membership. Commission officials including Executive Secretary Carlos Barría and Electric Department Chief Danilo Zurita participated in the meeting. ACENOR emphasized that regulatory efficiency directly influences investment conditions, employment generation and progress in electrifying industrial consumption as Chile’s power system undergoes transformation driven by renewable integration and fossil fuel phase-out commitments.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
