The SMA’s investigation uncovered serious violations related to wildlife rescue plans and archaeological heritage safeguards connected to the construction and operation of the solar plant, which began operations in September 2024. Two of the charges are deemed “grave,” raising concerns about potential sanctions including heavy fines, project closure, or revocation of its environmental qualification.
Las Chilcas Solar comprises 24,192 solar modules of 535 Wp each, and three inverters totaling 10,020 kVA, injecting energy into the national grid via a medium voltage line operated by Compañía General de Electricidad. Despite its contributions to Chile’s renewable matrix, the project was found to have neglected critical environmental protocols.
The first grave charge cites the failure to implement the approved Plan of Rescue and Relocation of reptiles, including the protection of the northern Chilean salamander species known as “salamanqueja del Norte Grande” and omission of the corridor for the endemic Pica lizard, which was not incorporated into the project’s environmental permitting process. The second, a lighter charge, concerns the omission of a pre-construction Controlled Disturbance Campaign aimed at minimizing harm to reptiles before earthworks commenced.
The third, also grave, involves incomplete execution of the Archaeological Findings Rescue and Collection Plan. The SMA highlighted that not all archaeological assets were properly evacuated before construction began, contravening established mitigation measures.
Sanctions for grave infractions in Chile’s environmental code can include fines of up to 5,000 annual tax units (approximately $4 million), while lesser violations may incur fines up to 1,000 units (around $815,000). This case exemplifies the increasing scrutiny on infrastructure projects as Chile balances ambitious energy goals with conservation mandates.
This development comes amid a broader national debate on “permisología”—a term used by the private sector to denote perceived excessive bureaucracy in environmental permitting—which has gained prominence in political discourse. The government’s September 2025 approval of a new law streamlining sectoral permits aims to accelerate investments yet has alarmed environmental advocates who warn of weakening regulatory safeguards and reduced public participation.
Chile faces mounting environmental pressures, including the long lasting impacts of extractive industries, accelerating biodiversity loss, and climate change-induced drought. Environmentalists caution that reforms simplifying permit processes risk eroding hard-won institutional protections and increasing conflicts between economic and ecological priorities.
Additionally, the case of Las Chilcas Solar underscores unresolved challenges in Chile’s System of Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA), whose reform discussions focus on increasing the technical rigor and independence of environmental assessments. Proposals under consideration include mandating that independent consultancies, randomly assigned, conduct impact studies instead of project proponents commissioning them, to reduce conflicts of interest.
Chile’s broader environmental framework, established under Law 19.300 since 1994, continues to evolve amid these pressures. Recent legislative efforts seek to enhance biodiversity protection, safeguard water resources, and address contamination while promoting renewable energy transitions critical to meeting the country’s carbon neutrality goals.
However, as the Las Chilcas Solar case illustrates, the challenge remains to reconcile rapid energy sector growth with comprehensive environmental stewardship, ensuring that renewable projects do not reproduce the mistakes of earlier extractive activities. With presidential elections recently concluded and new administrations poised to shape environmental and economic policies, the balance between investment and conservation remains a central issue for Chile’s sustainable future.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
