Chile reports 3.2 TWh solar curtailment as grid challenges persist

At the recent fourth edition of Solar Media’s Energy Storage Summit Latin America 2025 in Santiago, Chile’s government noted a slight increase in solar PV curtailment, which has climbed to 3.2 TWh by August of this year. The world is grappling to accept the reality that conventional energy generation methods like oil and gas are set to become a thing of the past. While the global transition of the energy sector towards renewable energy continues, Chile is facing an uphill battle as solar PV curtailment increases year on year.

The keynote address at the event saw two major concerns being raised by industry insiders

For any market, bringing together relevant stakeholders to discuss plans and concerns is essential. At the recent Energy Storage Summit Latin America 2025 in Santiago, Ana Lía Rojas, executive director at the Chilean renewable energy and energy storage association (ACERA), delivered a keynote address that outlined the problems being faced by the Chilean energy sector.

In her address, Ana Lía Rojas noted that the curtailment of solar PV and wind capacity in Chile has reached 3.2TWh as of August 2025, which represents a slight increase from the same period a year ago.

Nearly 6TWh of solar PV and wind capacity ended up curtailed in the Chilean energy sector in 2024, representing a 133% growth from the previous year. In the keynote address, she highlighted two major concerns for the Chilean renewable energy sector, namely that curtailment keeps rising and electricity demand management is crucial for the Chilean grid.

Some of the most influential thinkers in history have lauded the possibilities of solar power.

“I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that.” – Thomas Edison

Despite the curtailment issues faced by the solar PV sector, battery storage systems are performing well in Chile

Despite the increase in solar PV curtailment, the Chilean battery storage sector has seen significant improvements in recent years. Chile’s Battery energy storage system (BESS) has grown so fast that the country expects to reach its 2030 target of 2GW by next year.

At the moment, there is over 1GW of installed BESS in Chile, but it’s worth remembering that the Chilean market is still relatively small in the grand scope of things. Chile only has 38GW of installed capacity across all technologies (including non-renewables).

Therefore, a crucial part of Chile’s energy ambitions is to increase its ability to meet energy demand through a variety of sectors, as noted by Rojas. As the energy-rich nations of the world see landmark projects being built, Chile will need to evolve its energy sector and avoid any more curtailment issues.

Despite the recent curtailment issues and significant setbacks, Chile’s renewable energy sector is moving forward. 30.2 gigawatts (GW) of projects have received environmental approval across various technologies in Chile, which includes 19.9GW for solar PV and 2.9GW for energy storage solutions, along with an additional 22GW awaiting similar approval.

Chile will be hoping to reverse the curtailment trend that has decimated the sector in recent years

Chile is not known for its energy sector; in fact, it is one of the smallest in comparison to other energy-rich nations in South America. As several nations turn to the untapped power that solar presents, Chile will need to foster a more cooperative narrative to reduce the curtialment issues plaguing the South American nation. What is certain is that Chile will lean on the expertise of other energy-rich nations to end the trend of solar PV curtailment. The summit in Santiago provides the perfect platform for the nation to achieve its goals.