Generation projects under construction on Chile's National Electric System total 3,850 MW across 173 projects, and another 47 projects with 7,674 MW are awaiting environmental approval, with estimated investment of US$11.125 billion. The figures, which exclude batteries, come from the September 2026 bulletin of Generadoras de Chile, compiled with data from the National Energy Commission (CNE) and reported on 12 November by Electrominería.
Adding storage systems, capacity under construction reaches 9,213 MW in 256 projects, 97.2% of it renewable. Batteries, with 5,346 MW, already account for 58% of everything being built for the power system.
View the data as a table
| Under construction (excl. batteries) | 3,850 MW |
| Under construction incl. batteries | 9,213 MW |
| In environmental review | 7,674 MW |
| Investment under review | US$11,125 M |
Generation projects under construction, by technology
Solar PV dominates comfortably: 3,023 MW in 144 projects, plus 17 MW from three hybrid plants with batteries. Next come wind, with 346 MW in 12 projects; run-of-river hydro, with 221 MW in 10 projects; and thermal, with 260 MW in seven plants, almost all diesel-fired backup units (257 MW) plus a small gas plant (3 MW).
Solar's weight explains why the power debate is shifting toward night-time supply and transmission: every new PV plant adds energy at midday, when the north already has a surplus. That is why batteries, which shift that energy into the night, are growing even faster than generation, as our story on 11.3 GW of storage across operation, testing and construction shows.
| Technology | Capacity under construction (MW) | Projects | % of total incl. batteries |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batteries (BESS) | 5,346 | 80 | 58.0% |
| Solar PV | 3,023 | 144 | 32.8% |
| Wind | 346 | 12 | 3.8% |
| Thermal (diesel and gas) | 260 | 7 | 2.8% |
| Run-of-river hydro | 221 | 10 | 2.4% |
| Solar with batteries (solar component) | 17 | 3 | 0.2% |
| Total | 9,213 | 256 | 100% |
Source: Generadoras de Chile, September 2026 bulletin, capacity under construction, with CNE data. Excluding batteries, the total is 3,850 MW in 173 projects.
Where the projects under construction are
Including batteries, the three northernmost mining regions account for more than half of the works: Antofagasta has 2,006 MW, Atacama 1,953 MW and Tarapacá 1,647 MW. Further south, Coquimbo (751 MW), Maule (699 MW) and Biobío (564 MW) stand out. The environmental pipeline is also large in the Atacama Region, as we showed when reviewing the US$7.325 billion under review there.
View the data as a table
| Antofagasta | 2,006 MW |
| Atacama | 1,953 MW |
| Tarapacá | 1,647 MW |
| Coquimbo | 751 MW |
| Maule | 699 MW |
| Biobío | 564 MW |
| O'Higgins | 415 MW |
| Metropolitana | 309 MW |
| Valparaíso | 227 MW |
| Ñuble | 219 MW |
| Los Ríos | 188 MW |
| Los Lagos | 152 MW |
| La Araucanía | 48 MW |
| Arica y Parinacota | 12 MW |
What is in environmental review
The Environmental Impact Assessment System holds 47 generation projects with 7,674 MW and US$11.125 billion, excluding batteries. Solar PV leads with 3,985 MW in 34 projects and US$5.262 billion; wind adds 1,934 MW in 10 projects and US$3.754 billion, and two solar-wind hybrid projects account for 1,695 MW and US$2.05 billion. A 60 MW diesel plant completes the list.
| Technology | Capacity (MW) | Projects | Investment (US$ million) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solar PV | 3,985 | 34 | 5,262 |
| Wind | 1,934 | 10 | 3,754 |
| Solar + wind hybrid | 1,695 | 2 | 2,050 |
| Thermal (diesel) | 60 | 1 | 59 |
| Total excl. batteries | 7,674 | 47 | 11,125 |
| Batteries (BESS) | 251 | 9 | 587 |
| Total incl. batteries | 7,925 | 56 | 11,712 |
Source: Generadoras de Chile, September 2026 bulletin, capacity in environmental review, with CNE data to August 2026.
By region, capacity under review is concentrated in Antofagasta (2,299 MW), Atacama (1,390 MW) and Los Lagos (1,211 MW), the latter driven by wind projects, such as the four farms we covered in our story on 1,202 MW of wind under review in Los Lagos.
View the data as a table
| Antofagasta | 2,299 MW |
| Atacama | 1,390 MW |
| Los Lagos | 1,211 MW |
| Valparaíso | 943 MW |
| O'Higgins | 768 MW |
| Maule | 452 MW |
| Coquimbo | 329 MW |
| Los Ríos | 216 MW |
| Tarapacá | 143 MW |
| Biobío | 107 MW |
| Ñuble | 50 MW |
| Metropolitana | 18 MW |
| Arica y Parinacota | 0 MW |
| La Araucanía | 0 MW |
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Environmental approvals fall in 2026
The bulletin shows a cooling in new project entries. So far in 2026, capacity submitted for environmental review totals 2,558 MW, down 45.5% from 2025, and capacity with an approved environmental qualification resolution (RCA) reaches 3,447 MW, down 31.5%. Investment with an approved RCA, however, is up 3.5% at US$6.622 billion.
| Indicator | September 2026 | 2026 to date | Change vs 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity submitted for review | 158.1 MW | 2,558 MW | −45.5% |
| Capacity with approved RCA | 460.6 MW | 3,447 MW | −31.5% |
| Investment with approved RCA | US$1.247 billion | US$6.622 billion | +3.5% |
Source: Generadoras de Chile, September 2026 bulletin, with CNE data to August 2026.
The drop in new projects comes as the system curtails solar power at midday, spot prices are very low during sunny hours and transmission is constrained in the north. At the same time, batteries already make up most of what is being built, a sign of where investment is moving.
What the construction pipeline means for the system
The 3,850 MW of generation under construction equal about a tenth of the country's installed capacity, which stands at 39,231 MW according to the same bulletin (28,027 MW renewable and 11,204 MW thermal). Since almost all of it is solar, its contribution will be concentrated in sunny hours, exactly when energy is being curtailed in the north today. That is why perhaps the most relevant figure in the bulletin is another one: for every MW of generation being built, 1.4 MW of batteries are being installed, a ratio that did not exist three years ago.
Thermal capacity under construction, meanwhile, is almost all backup: 257 MW of oil-fired plants designed to run a few hours a year at tight moments. Run-of-river hydro, with 221 MW, is the only firm renewable technology that is growing, though far more slowly than solar. In review, wind and hybrid projects add up to more than 3,600 MW, and they are the ones that could supply night-time energy once they start operating.
Frequently asked questions
How many power generation projects are being built in Chile?
173 projects with 3,850 MW, excluding batteries, as of September 2026. With the 80 storage projects, there are 256 with 9,213 MW.
Which technology leads construction?
Solar PV, with 3,023 MW in 144 projects. Counting batteries, storage is what is being built the most, with 5,346 MW.
How much investment is in environmental review?
US$11.125 billion in 47 generation projects with 7,674 MW. Including batteries, the figure rises to US$11.712 billion.
Where do these figures come from?
From the monthly bulletin of Generadoras de Chile, which processes the CNE registers of projects under construction and in environmental review.
