Blackouts: How mathematical models allow for the design of more reliable networks
A project led by researchers from the Faculty of Engineering and Sciences at Adolfo Ibáñez University proposes abandoning the assumption of isolated failures to redesign electrical grids, assuming that lifestyle and climate changes anticipate a greater frequency of outages in our country. On February 25, 2025, much of Chile was left without electricity. At 3:16 p.m., a fault in the transmission line between Vallenar and…
The “failure” of COP30: there is a homeland out there.
November 26, 2025 By Claudio Seebach The recent COP30 in Belém, Brazil, was probably among the climate conferences with the least progress in history, marked by a prior report confirming the impossibility of limiting the increase in global temperature to below 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, an ambivalence and lack of leadership from the host country, strong pressure from oil-producing nations, and the complete absence of…
Technologies for Renewable Energy: Innovation in the Chilean Electricity System
November 17, 2025 Disruptive developments are redefining the operation of the National Electric System, driving an energy transition that can offer clean energy, security, and a reliable supply to consumers. The energy transition in Chile is progressing sustainably, hand in hand with the increasing integration of renewable energies into the National Electric System (SEN), especially solar and wind. However, the challenge is no longer how…
Rebuilding trust in the energy transition: the key role of consumers
November 17, 2025 The good news is that Chile is moving toward a clean energy system faster than many expected. The bad news is that energy consumers are starting to get fed up just as the road ahead gets tougher. There is growing concern about rising electricity costs, which directly affect all end users: household well-being and the competitiveness of industries. However, the main problem…
EDF Power Solutions and Centra UAI discuss the future of energy storage in Chile
November 17, 2025 A seminar brought together industry experts to analyze the prospects for this technology in the coming years. Analyzing the future of energy storage as a key enabler for a secure energy transition was the objective of the seminar “The Storage Boom: Challenges and Opportunities,” organized by EDF Power Solutions and the Center for Energy Transition (Centra) of the Faculty of Engineering and…
Chile already has more than 2,500 free customers
November 10, 2025 A free customer is an electricity consumer who is not subject to the tariff regulated by the authority, but who can choose their energy supplier and directly negotiate the price and conditions of their supply. According to Lorenzo Reyes Bozo, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Business at the Universidad de Las Américas, unlike a regulated customer (for example, households or…
CENTRA UAI researchers awarded ANID Regular Ring for innovation in virtual energy
November 4, 2025 The group, comprised of academics from the Faculty of Engineering and Sciences and the Business School, aims to develop a platform to support the design and operation of Virtual Power Plants in Chilean electricity markets. An interdisciplinary team of researchers from Adolfo Ibáñez University (UAI) was awarded the project “Decision Support Tools for Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) in Chile” in the…
Only Guatemala Surpasses It: Electricity Prices in Chile Are the Second Highest in Latin America
November 4, 2025 It ranks just behind countries such as Spain and the United Kingdom The price of electricity in Chile is the second highest in Latin America and is above the world average. According to Global Petrol Prices, as of March of this year, the cost per kWh in Chile was $262.5 for residential customers. Thus, for the usual household consumption (250 kWh per…