How wind power grew in Chile
Chile's first wind farm, Alto Baguales near Coyhaique in Aysén, began in 2001 with three towers and 2 MW. Canela, in Coquimbo, became the first farm on the central grid in December 2007, with 11 turbines and 18.15 MW. Endesa Eco built it, and President Bachelet opened it.
A 2008 law required generators above 200 MW to source 5% of the energy they sold from non-conventional renewables. A 2013 law raised the goal to 20% by 2025. A 2015 reform moved state tenders to the energy commission and allowed hourly blocks, which let wind and solar compete on equal terms. Average tender prices across all technologies fell from US$129/MWh in 2013 to US$32.5/MWh in 2017. In 2025 Colbún opened Horizonte in the Atacama Desert, with 140 turbines and 816 MW. It is Chile's largest power plant of any kind.
Chile had 6,314 MW of wind in commercial operation in September 2026. Wind generated 11.6 TWh in 2025, 13.1% of the country's electricity. Approval is no longer the main hurdle: 22,123 MW of wind holds environmental approval, but only 346 MW was being built. National policy, updated in 2022, aims to close all coal plants by 2040, with work to bring that forward to 2030, and to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.
Sources: GRM · Diario Financiero · ESE Business School · CNE · Colbún · CNE · Ember · Reporte Minero
Where Chile's power comes from, 2025
| Source | Share of electricity |
|---|---|
| Solar | 25.1% |
| Hydro | 22.2% |
| Coal | 17.8% |
| Gas | 15.3% |
| Wind | 13.1% |
| Bioenergy | 5.7% |
| Other fossil fuels | 0.6% |
| Geothermal and other renewables | 0.3% |
Wind farms in Chile
We track 117 wind farms in Chile: 6.3 GW operating and 28.9 GW under construction, consented or planned. Each one's owners, turbines and status are in the Wind app.
Electricity data: Ember yearly electricity data (CC BY 4.0). Wind farms: national registers and Global Energy Monitor; see data sources.
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