Canutillar, September 4, 2026.- In an initiative aimed at strengthening ties between regional authorities and key energy infrastructure in the area, a delegation from the Los Lagos Regional Council (CORE) visited the facilities of the Canutillar Hydroelectric Power Plant, operated by Colbún. The CORE delegation included Rodrigo Arismendi, chair of the Infrastructure Committee; Javier Cabello, chair of the Environmental Committee; and councilors Francisco Reyes and Luis Becerra. Representing Colbún were Pedro Pablo Díaz, Energy Management Systems Manager; Eduardo Carmona, Head of Institutional Relations; Claudio Melgarejo, Southern Zone Communities Leader; Tamara Villablanca, Environmental, Safety and Occupational Health Supervisor at the plant; and Mario Mena, Operations Manager at the Canutillar Power Plant.
The visit takes place in a context where energy security is especially relevant. The Canutillar Power Plant, located in the municipality of Cochamó, has an installed capacity of 172 MW and covered 33% of the Los Lagos Region's electricity consumption in 2025, equivalent to the average consumption of nearly 300,000 households. Its strategic importance was demonstrated during the nationwide blackout of February 25, 2025, when it became one of the first facilities to resume operating without drawing power from the grid, helping Puerto Montt become one of the first cities to have its electricity supply restored.
“This is a commitment we had as the Environmental Committee, to see firsthand how the Canutillar plant works and everything it produces. And the truth is, we have mixed feelings, in the sense that the energy it produces is very much needed; it's not just a backup plant for when power from the north fails, it generates close to 30% of the energy consumed in the region. But the cost has been quite high, with a ruling from the Environmental Court, upheld by the Court of Appeals, regarding environmental damage. Now we have to wait for this repair plan that they must submit, and the Superintendency will also need to evaluate the completion of that plan and then bring the community into the process”, said Javier Cabello, chair of the CORE's Environmental Committee.
Councilor Francisco Reyes, for his part, stated that “we have fostered a frank, direct and transparent dialogue with the Colbún company regarding the recovery plan they must submit in October to the Third Environmental Court, and we hope that, within the framework of this dialogue that has begun, actions will also be taken toward greater transparency and a more educational approach with the community regarding what the company is doing. We hope that, building on the willingness Colbún has shown to engage in dialogue and rebuild trust through action, a sense of responsibility and shared responsibility around energy will also take shape, but above all, with respect to our ecosystem and our environment”.
Dialogue Between Authorities and the Company
The visit allowed regional councilors to gain a deeper understanding of how the electric system works in general and the role plants like Canutillar play in providing stability and security to the system in the southern zone, especially during contingencies. This has become even more relevant following the warning from the National Electric Coordinator (CEN), which in its June 2026 Supply Security Study projected a tight period and a risk of shortfall for the Los Ríos and Los Lagos regions between November 2026 and January 2027, contingent on factors such as low water flows, high temperatures and low wind contribution.
The visit to the plant adds to the recent dialogue and follow-up activities that CORE and Colbún have maintained regarding the operation of Canutillar and its relationship with the surrounding environment, within the framework of the ruling by the Third Environmental Court of Valdivia, which establishes that the company must submit a repair plan for the impacts on Lake Chapo.
In this regard, Eduardo Carmona, Head of Institutional Relations at Colbún, praised the visit. “We appreciate the visit from the regional council's environmental and infrastructure committees. It was a very important visit, because we were able to show them how the plant works and how important Canutillar is for southern Chile and for the electric system”. The executive confirmed that in October the company will submit its proposed Environmental Repair Plan to the Third Environmental Court of Valdivia.
