Chile Power Outage Disrupts Copper Production, Triggers National Emergency

A massive power outage plunged most of Chile into darkness, leading the government to briefly declare a national emergency. The blackout affected the capital, Santiago, and the mining-intensive northern region, causing a temporary halt in copper production. Chile, the world’s largest copper producer, saw market disruptions as a result of the outage.

Latin America’s electricity grids, heavily reliant on hydropower, have struggled with reliability due to climate change-induced weather shifts. Prolonged droughts have led to blackouts in several countries, impacting economic growth and increasing political instability.

As global energy systems transition toward renewable—but intermittent—sources, experts at the Washington-based Stimson Center have emphasized the need for policymakers to adopt a new paradigm for energy security to prevent future disruptions.