Environmental Tribunal Ruling on Electric Transmission Project
On April 22, 2026, the Second Environmental Tribunal of Chile made a significant ruling in favor of the Municipality of Casablanca concerning the electric transmission project known as "New Line 2×220 Nueva Alto Melipilla – Nueva Casablanca – La Pólvora – Agua Santa." The Tribunal ordered the Environmental Assessment Service (SEA) to duly consider the municipality's observations related to this interregional project. This decision came as a response to the SEA’s previous ruling, which had dismissed the municipality's legitimacy to file an administrative action against the environmental approval of the project due to their failure to submit comments during the citizen participation process.
The Tribunal's ruling specifically annulled the SEA's prior resolution that declared the municipality's appeal inadmissible, acknowledging that the municipality indeed has the standing to contest administrative decisions under Article 29 in conjunction with Article 20 of Law No. 19.300, as well as the judicial appeal rights outlined in Article 17 No. 6 of Law No. 20.600. The Tribunal emphasized that since the municipality had submitted observations during the environmental evaluation phase of the project, its active legitimacy to raise these concerns was warranted, and thus, the SEA must reconsider its previous decision.
This ruling underscores the importance of municipal involvement in environmental decision-making, especially when significant projects impact local communities. The Tribunal was composed of President Marcela Godoy Flores, Minister Cristián López Montecinos, and former Minister Cristián Delpiano Lira, with the judgment drafted by Minister López.
The proposed project entails constructing a double-circuit electric transmission line that spans 106.84 kilometers with a voltage of 220 kV, extending from Melipilla to Viña del Mar. It also includes the establishment of the Nueva Casablanca 220/66 kV substation and connections to four existing substations: Nueva Alto Melipilla 220 kV, Casablanca 66 kV, Agua Santa 220 kV, and La Pólvora 220/110 kV. Additionally, a 672-meter double-circuit link at a voltage of 66 kV is planned to connect the new Nueva Casablanca substation with the existing Casablanca substation.
Such developments not only highlight the need for rigorous environmental assessments but also reinforce the role of local authorities in safeguarding community interests against large-scale infrastructural projects.
As reported by tribunalambiental.cl.
