Chile’s solar capacity reaches 12.2 GW as renewables claim 52% of national generation mix

Chile’s renewable energy installed capacity reached 20,006 MW in May 2026, equivalent to 52% of the country’s total generation capacity of 38,173 MW, according to the National Energy Commission’s monthly report. Solar photovoltaic accounts for 12,184 MW of this total, representing approximately 61% of installed renewables capacity. Nearly all clean energy capacity connects to the National Electric System, totaling 19,964 MW, with minimal capacity distributed across the Aysén and Magallanes systems.

The operational renewable fleet includes 6,310 MW of wind, 666 MW of biomass, 654 MW of run-of-river small hydro, 108 MW of concentrated solar power, and 84 MW of geothermal capacity. In April 2026, the National Electric System generated 6,944 GWh, of which 3,284 GWh came from renewable energy plants, representing 47.3% of total generation. Solar photovoltaic contributed 1,825 GWh, or 55.6% of renewable output, while wind generated 1,071 GWh.

The construction pipeline contains 185 renewable energy projects totaling 4,176 MW. Solar photovoltaic accounts for 3,768 MW, or roughly 90% of the pipeline, with wind projects representing 370 MW and small hydro totaling 35 MW. Battery storage development has emerged as a critical component, with 73 BESS projects under construction totaling 5,728 MW. This storage capacity addresses the operational challenge of managing high solar penetration in northern Chile, enabling energy dispatch during peak demand periods.

The Environmental Assessment Service admitted two new renewable projects for review in April, totaling 330 MW and $640 million in investment: the 240 MW Las Lilas Wind Farm and the 90 MW Loma Verde Solar project, both including storage components. As of May, 86 renewable projects remained under environmental review, totaling 11,784 MW and $44.28 billion in investment. Solar accounts for 52% of capacity under evaluation, with wind representing 48%.

Distributed generation systems under Law 20.571 reached cumulative capacity of 501,792 kW across 41,962 installations by May 2026. The Metropolitan region leads with 145,483 kW of distributed capacity, followed by Valparaíso with 74,624 kW. In March 2026, renewable generation represented 62% of the National Electric System’s output, with solar contributing 29% and wind 13%. The system achieved a peak instantaneous renewable participation of 92.6% on March 1, demonstrating grid flexibility but also highlighting ongoing transmission congestion challenges. Renewable curtailments reached 595.8 GWh in March, equivalent to 20% of solar and wind generation.