en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Chilean Renewable Energy and Storage Association (Acera A.G.) held a technical meeting with Arturo Farías Alcaíno, Executive Director of the Environmental Assessment Service (Servicio de Evaluación Ambiental, SEA). During the meeting, members of Acera's Board of Directors learned about the main progress, challenges, and priorities of the agency in the field of environmental assessment.
In his presentation, the Executive Director of SEA stated that 379 projects are currently undergoing environmental assessment, with a total investment exceeding $91 billion. Among them, the energy sector represents the largest portfolio under evaluation, with 125 projects totaling $26.657 billion, reflecting the strategic position of this industry in the construction of new infrastructure in Chile.
Arturo Farías Alcaíno also highlighted the trajectory of the energy sector in recent years. Data shows that investments in environmentally approved energy projects grew from $4.383 billion in 2010 to $19.669 billion in 2025, demonstrating the sector's sustained growth and its influence within the national investment portfolio.
During the meeting, the Director also outlined the main management guidelines guiding SEA's work for the 2026-2030 period, focusing on improving the efficiency and timeliness of environmental assessments, strengthening legal certainty, and consolidating the Service's technical leadership and advisory role. Among the announced objectives, he emphasized reducing the processing time for Environmental Impact Declarations and Studies submitted during the current administrative period by 30%, while enhancing coordination among agencies with environmental authority and reviewing guidelines and technical standards.
Overall, the Director highlighted recent achievements in streamlining processes. For example, progress was made in resolving projects with pending appeals, unlocking approximately $15 billion in investments across 50 projects. He also emphasized the work of the Council of Ministers, which held six meetings in less than 90 days, reviewing 16 projects and helping to unfreeze an additional $6.9 billion. Furthermore, May 2026 set a historical record for the highest number of environmental approvals in a single month.
Following the presentation, Acera's Board members exchanged views with the Director on the challenges faced by energy projects during the evaluation and environmental processing stages. The association believes that advancing more efficient assessments requires strengthening coordination among public agencies, increasing regulatory certainty, improving the linkage between spatial planning and environmental assessment, and promoting the proper implementation of regulatory instruments that affect the development of energy infrastructure.
Ana Lía Rojas, Executive Director of Acera, expressed appreciation for the meeting and emphasized the importance of continuing to strengthen such technical exchange spaces. She noted that the data presented shows the energy sector currently holds the largest portfolio of projects under environmental assessment in the country, reflecting the industry's importance in advancing energy security, decarbonization, and economic growth. In this context, it is crucial to continue strengthening an environmental assessment that is efficient, technically robust, and capable of accompanying the infrastructure development needed by Chile in the coming decades.
Acera expressed its appreciation for SEA's willingness to discuss these topics, and both parties agreed to continue promoting joint working spaces that contribute to improving environmental assessment and fostering the sustainable development of infrastructure required for the national energy transition. The association also thanked its member company Prieto Abogados for providing the venue for this meeting.
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