Chile experienced an unprecedented power outage on February 25, 2025, affecting nearly 95% of its 20 million residents. The incident began at 3:16 PM local time (6:16 PM GMT) during the peak of the summer season when temperatures exceeded 30°C. The massive outage forced thousands of people to walk home, disrupting traffic and prompting the authorities to declare a state of emergency. Santiago's subway system, which serves around 2.3 million passengers daily, had to be evacuated, leading to severe strain on alternative modes of transport.
Following the outage, the Chilean government rescinded the curfew imposed the previous day and launched an immediate investigation to determine the causes behind this failure. Diego Pardow, the Minister of Energy, indicated during a press conference, "We will look for those responsible and apply severe sanctions." The authorities revealed the outage resulted from technical issues involving electrical transmission between two circuits, stemming from a malfunction within the control system of a power plant located in the northern part of the country.
The economic ramifications of the outage have proven significant. Codelco, the state-owned copper enterprise, reported temporary disruptions to its operations, with precise impacts on production still under assessment. Copper is pivotal to Chile's economy, accounting for approximately 10 to 15% of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The outage has also affected the Viña del Mar International Festival, one of Latin America's most important cultural events, which had to postpone its third night due to the blackout.
While total losses from the outage have yet to be estimated, the situation has highlighted vulnerabilities within Chile's electrical grid, which was previously regarded as one of the most reliable systems in the region. Many households and businesses, especially those within key sectors, suffered from this prolonged power interruption, resulting in considerable economic disruptions.
President Gabriel Boric reacted strongly to the incident, branding the outage as "outrageous" and directing blame at the companies accountable for managing the network. The government officials indicated the investigation could take several weeks to clearly establish accountability. This type of crisis intensifies political tensions, especially since Chile prides itself on having one of the most efficient power grids in South America.
Public and political reactions suggest significant pressure for revising protocols and improving oversight of infrastructure is necessary moving forward. There are widespread calls for stricter enforcement of safety and operational standards among the private companies managing Chile’s electrical supply.
The electricity outage serves as a wake-up call, exposing not only the immediate faults within the electrical infrastructure but also the broader vulnerabilities resting within the country's economic reliance on stable and dependable power.