Chile's government is selecting 20 strategic energy projects to follow closely and shorten their permitting. The portfolio focuses on transmission lines, storage systems and other works that enable the energy transition, and the full list has not yet been made public, REDIMIN reported on November 4, 2026, based on the Ministry of Energy's roadmap.
The target is written into the Ministry's Energy Roadmap 2026-2030: by 2030, "reduce permitting times for strategic energy projects, focused on a prioritized portfolio of 20 projects". The same document explains the urgency: at the end of 2025 there were US$47,650 million in energy projects under environmental review, and those approved that year took more than 450 days on average.
View the data as a table
| Under environmental review at end-2025 | US$47,650 M |
| Environmentally approved in 2025 | US$19,700 M |
| Average review time, days | +450 |
| Strategic projects | 20 |
How the 20 strategic energy projects will be chosen
According to what has been reported, the selection of the strategic energy projects rests on three main criteria: the project's maturity; whether its delays are at least partly due to state procedures; and whether those delays affect other players in the power system or hold back needed infrastructure. The roadmap adds the contribution to the power system, the ability to mobilize investment and the creation of quality jobs. Priority does not depend only on how much each company commits.
| Criterion | What it measures | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Maturity | Whether the project is advanced and ready to build | Ministry of Energy, via REDIMIN |
| Delay attributable to the state | Delays caused, at least in part, by administrative procedures | Ministry of Energy, via REDIMIN |
| Effect on third parties | Whether the delay affects other players or holds back infrastructure | Ministry of Energy, via REDIMIN |
| Contribution to the power system | Benefit to the grid and security of supply | Energy Roadmap 2026-2030 |
| Investment and jobs | Ability to mobilize investment and create quality jobs | Energy Roadmap 2026-2030 |
The Ministry makes clear that joining the portfolio does not mean automatic environmental approval, obtaining all permits or the start of construction. What it offers is strategic support: coordinating the public agencies that must sign off so that deadlines are met. No project-by-project schedule has been published either.
The tools: an interministerial table and a permitting plan
The 20-project portfolio is part of Action 18 of the Energy Roadmap, "Speeding up projects and modernizing permits". Its products include an interministerial table for strategic energy investment, running 2026-2030, to permanently coordinate the prioritized projects, and a plan to modernize administrative procedures, due 2026-2028, which must identify bottlenecks, critical stages, effective timelines and the agencies involved.
The same action includes a socio-territorial integration guide for transmission projects, with a pilot in 2027, and action plans for 3 key zones for generation and transmission between 2026 and 2030. The roadmap was presented on May 28, 2026 and approved by Exempt Resolution No. 45, published in the Official Gazette in early July, according to a legal alert from law firm Cariola.
- May 28, 2026Energy Roadmap 2026-2030 presented
- July 2026Official Gazette publishes Exempt Resolution No. 45
- November 3, 2026Committee of Ministers: 28 projects decided, US$21,996 M
- November 4, 2026Selection of 20 strategic projects reported
- 2027Pilot of the socio-territorial guide for transmission
- 2028Deadline for the procedures modernization plan
- 2030Target: shorter permitting for the 20-project portfolio
How much investment is waiting for permits in Chile
The diagnosis in the roadmap's investment axis gives four figures. In 2025, US$19,700 million in energy investment received environmental approval, with average review times above 450 days. At the end of that year there were US$47,650 million in energy projects under review, including green hydrogen. And the sector will need between 12,000 and 27,000 workers over the next decade, with 40% of today's workers lacking formal technical or professional training.
| Indicator | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Energy investment environmentally approved in 2025 | US$19,700 M | Energy Roadmap 2026-2030 |
| Average review time for projects approved in 2025 | Over 450 days | Energy Roadmap 2026-2030 |
| Energy projects under review at end-2025 | US$47,650 M | Energy Roadmap 2026-2030 |
| Workers the sector will need over the next decade | 12,000 to 27,000 | Energy Roadmap 2026-2030 |
| Workers without formal technical or professional training | 40% | Energy Roadmap 2026-2030 |
| Projects decided by the Committee of Ministers under this government | 28 (US$21,996 M) | Revista Electricidad, Nov 3, 2026 |
The pace of reviews was already an issue: the Environmental Assessment Service approved 90 energy projects worth US$11,855 million in a recent period while new filings were falling, as we reported in our story on energy investment approved by the SEA.
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See advertising optionsThe Committee of Ministers is also speeding up
The announcement comes alongside another signal. On November 3, at its twelfth session under this government, the Committee of Ministers upheld the favorable environmental approvals of the San Antonio Outer Port (US$4 billion) and the Los Portones wind farm (US$250 million, 24 turbines in Calbuco and Maullín, with a 23 km, 220 kV line and batteries). According to Revista Electricidad, the Committee has resolved appeals for 28 projects worth US$21,996 million in under eight months.
The northern regions hold a large part of the portfolio under review. Atacama alone had 26 projects worth US$7,325 million at the end of October, with energy at the top, as we detailed in Atacama's environmental review pipeline.
Why transmission dominates the strategic energy projects
It is no accident that the portfolio targets transmission and storage. Chile has more renewable generation than its grids can move during sunny hours, which forces it to waste energy. New lines take years and require hundreds of sectoral permits. This same week, the grid operator awarded 17 new transmission works worth US$475 million, due to start operating around 2031, as we reported in our story on the transmission tender.
The roadmap includes other 2030 targets that depend on the same agencies: 65,000 new solar systems for self-consumption, at least 1 GW of distributed generation and an international treaty for power exchange with neighboring countries, which would open projects such as interconnections with Peru, Argentina and Bolivia. When the Ministry publishes the list of the 20 projects, we will update this story.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 20 strategic energy projects?
The list is not yet public. It is known to target transmission lines, storage and enabling infrastructure.
Does being on the list guarantee approval?
No. The Ministry says it does not imply environmental approval, permits or the start of works: it is support to coordinate public agencies.
How long do permits take today?
Energy projects approved in 2025 took more than 450 days on average in environmental review, according to the Energy Roadmap.
How much investment is under review?
US$47,650 million in energy projects at the end of 2025, including green hydrogen.
Until when does the target run?
Until 2030. The interministerial table runs from 2026 to 2030, and the procedures modernization plan from 2026 to 2028.
