Seven energy companies submitted bids in Chile’s Short-Term Exceptional Power Supply Tender 2025/02, a process launched by the National Energy Commission (CNE) together with Empresas Eléctricas A.G., which represents distribution utilities, and Fenacopel, the national federation of electric cooperatives.
The tender aims to secure electricity supply for regulated customers of Chile’s National Electric System (SEN) throughout 2026.
The auction seeks a contracted volume of 1,470 GWh/year, covering the period 1 January to 31 December 2026, structured into:
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2 regional supply blocks: Central and Central-South zones of the SEN
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3 hourly blocks:
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Block A: 23:00–07:59
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Block B: 08:00–17:59
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Block C: 18:00–22:59
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Companies submitting bids
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Fenster Energy Trading
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Colbún (one of Chile’s largest generation companies)
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WPD Duqueco
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WPD Malleco
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Guacolda Energía
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Enel Generación Chile (subsidiary of Italy’s Enel Group)
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BTG Pactual Chile (investment and energy trading arm of BTG Pactual)
Industry response
Mauricio Funes, Acting Executive Secretary of the National Energy Commission (CNE), stated that this exceptional tender “not only seeks to secure electricity supply for regulated customers in 2026, but also reaffirms our commitment to transparency, competition, and responsible system management. The reception of these bids demonstrates the industry’s confidence in the established mechanisms and highlights the importance of clear, open and technically robust processes during periods of high pressure for the sector.”
Juan Meriches, Executive Director of Empresas Eléctricas A.G., emphasised that progress has been made in receiving short-term offers and that “this energy is expected to contribute to the sustainability of regulated electricity supply.”
From Fenacopel, studies engineer Ignacio Luco noted the relevance of the tender for efficiently covering 2026 demand requirements: “This short-term mechanism shows the sector’s ability to react, anticipate and secure supply in the face of projected deficits. We value the transparency of this exceptional process and trust it will allow electric cooperatives to guarantee energy for their members and users under the best possible market conditions.”
Process background
This tender is part of Chile’s Exceptional Short-Term Supply Auctions, established under the country’s Electricity Supply Bidding Regulations. These processes are activated when the CNE forecasts that actual energy consumption by regulated customers will exceed the contracted supply available for the following year.
Under Article 135 quinquies of the General Law on Electric Services, when such a gap is identified, the CNE must issue a resolution instructing an exceptional short-term auction. Unlike previous long-term tenders, these mechanisms include a special contract price adjustment linked to the real marginal cost of energy, as defined in the regulations.
The current tender was triggered following Exempt Resolution No. 438, published on 28 July 2025, which approved the Preliminary Supply Bidding Report for 2025. That report updated demand projections for regulated customers and identified a supply gap starting in 2026, caused mainly by the early termination of contracts awarded under the 2021/01 tender. Those contracts had been held by:
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Canadian Solar Libertador Solar Holding SpA
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Racó Energía SpA
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Sonnedix PPA Holding S.A.
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OPDE Chile SpA
The CNE will publish the final results on its official website www.cne.cl and on www.licitacioneselectricas.cl.
