This is an automated translation of the original release published in Spanish.
PRESS RELEASE from Schneider Electric
December 2025
Power outages are a critical challenge that impacts both communities and a country’s economic development. These interruptions not only limit access to basic services, such as electricity in hospitals, schools, and homes, but also negatively affect small and medium-sized enterprises, agriculture, and local industry, which are fundamental pillars of the regional economy.
According to a study by the Institute for Complex Engineering Systems (ISCI), the reliability of power grids in Chile is poor compared with other countries. For example, while in Norway or the United Kingdom residents experience on average one hour without electricity per year, in Chile this figure rises to fifteen hours. In many cases, these outages are due to events external to the power system, such as extreme natural phenomena and disasters, whose frequency has increased in recent times.
Given this scenario, Víctor Paredes, Power System director for Chile, Peru, and Bolivia at Schneider Electric, points out that “from our perspective, supply interruptions are not only a technical problem, but also a structural challenge that requires modernizing and strengthening power grids to withstand extreme weather events, which are increasingly frequent due to climate change.”
In accordance with its National Energy Policy, Chile has set ambitious goals to achieve a resilient and efficient energy system, including a maximum of one hour of electric supply unavailability in the country by 2050, as well as 6,000 MW of storage systems to help complement energy in the National Electric System by 2050, and to have the highest standards in the world in terms of reliability and resilience of the energy system by 2040, positioning itself as a model of renewable energy integration to be followed by other countries.
Technological solutions for building resilient networks
To transform the country’s electric distribution systems, smart grids are one of the most effective tools. “These grids, equipped with sensors, data analysis, and advanced software, enable efficient and automated energy management, improving the ability to anticipate and respond to supply disruptions,” explains Paredes.
In summary, the executive adds that energy storage systems, such as state-of-the-art batteries, are essential to ensure service continuity during periods of high demand or generation failures. These technologies can store renewable energy, such as solar or wind, to be used when needed, especially in remote areas of southern Chile that depend on intermittent sources.
“The key to building more resilient grids lies in the implementation of advanced technologies that improve the response and adaptation capacity of energy infrastructure”, adds Paredes. With the adoption of these solutions, Chile is moving towards a more robust, efficient, and sustainable energy system, in line with its development and decarbonization objectives.
Among the solutions offered by Schneider Electric to address this issue, the digitalization of networks stands out, strengthening the use of digital tools to predict climate risks and adjust network operation in real time. In addition, it highlights the use of software and electrical equipment for the integration of renewable sources, through which it is possible to promote local energy generation via solar or wind plants, thus reducing dependence on centralized networks that may fail.
“With these measures, we seek not only to mitigate the effects of power outages, but also to contribute to the decarbonization of the electricity system in the country,” Paredes points out.
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