Passive Investments
Investor Guide · 2026 Edition
The 2026 Guide · Chile

Data Center Site Selection in Chile

The grid connection queue, water rights after the 2022 reform, rural land and zoning rules, the January 2026 environmental review changes, land value signals and the Santiago comunas where projects are landing, written for landowners and local brokers.

Chile Landowners & Brokers

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Chile · Landowners & Brokers

The Short Answer

Data center site selection in Chile starts with one question: can the site get connected to the grid. About 2 GW of data center load is asking for a connection, and only 407 MW was connected between June 2020 and May 2026. Land is not scarce. Land with a credible path to a substation is.

Colliers counts 255 MW operating in 36 data centers as of the first half of 2026, more than 120 MW under construction and 367.8 MW planned through 2031. Almost all of it is in the Santiago Metropolitan Region. After power, buyers ask about water, which became a legal and community risk with the Google Cerrillos case, about whether the land is urban or rural, and about which environmental review applies after the rule changes of January 21, 2026.

For a landowner, the test is megawatts within reach, a zoning status that allows the use and a title a foreign-backed buyer can close on. For a local broker (corredor de propiedades), the opportunity is putting that land in front of U.S. and global capital. This guide is current as of October 2026 and ends with sections for landowners and brokers.

Chile by the Numbers · 2026

A concentrated market with more demand than grid

Colliers values the 367.8 MW planned through 2031 at US$1.616 billion across 8 developments. The grid operator has connection requests for about 2 GW of data center load, including single requests of 500 MW. Seven facilities totalling 407 MW were connected in six years.

Operating (Colliers, 1H 2026)
255 MW
Planned to 2031
367.8 MW
Seeking connection
~2 GW
Connected 2020–26
407 MW

Why Chile Is on the Data Center Map

Chile is a small, concentrated market. Colliers' first-half 2026 count is 255 MW in 36 operating data centers, with more than 120 MW under construction by EdgeConneX, Scala, ODATA and Terranova. After Ascenty opened its third data center in August 2026, three operators hold about 64% of it: ODATA (about 31%), Ascenty (about 19%) and Google Cloud (about 14%). Colocation, where an operator leases space and power to several customers, is 79.4% of the market.

Other trackers differ because they measure differently. Radio Universidad de Chile reported 33 operating data centers and 34 in development in March 2026. The investigative outlet El Clip cited about 300 MW in the Metropolitan and Valparaíso regions in September 2025. Treat these as a range and do not add figures from different trackers together.

Projects are getting larger. Campo de Datos Lampa is described as US$850 million and 100 MW on 22 hectares. Amazon's Huechuraba site is US$205 million on 10.9 hectares. Google relaunched its Cerrillos project (US$200 million, about 23 hectares) on June 17, 2026. In August and September 2026, developers filed grid requests for artificial intelligence campuses of 500 MW each.

Energy is part of the draw: renewables supplied 63.3% of the 87 TWh Chile generated in 2025, according to the renewable energy association ACERA. The limit is getting that power to the site. For how U.S. developers rank candidate sites, see Data Center Site Selection.

Chile at a Glance

FactorChileWhat it means for your land
Market size255 MW in 36 data centers; 120+ MW under construction; 367.8 MW planned to 2031 (Colliers, 1H 2026)Buyers are active but selective, mostly around Santiago.
PowerOpen access to transmission, run by the Coordinador Eléctrico Nacional. Loads above 5,000 kW contract their own supply.The buyer contracts the power. You show how close the site is to a substation.
Time to powerNo official typical figure found. About 2 GW queuing; 407 MW connected in six years.Any connection request or grid response on file for your site is worth showing.
WaterWater rights are registered separately from land. New rights are granted for up to 30 years, renewable, and rights can lapse for non-use (Ley 21.435).Do not price the land on its water.
Land and zoningOutside the urban limit, building needs favourable SAG and SEREMI MINVU reports (Art. 55 LGUC).Know whether your parcel is urban or rural before you market it.
Foreign buyersForeigners generally buy private land freely. Nationals of bordering countries are barred from declared border zones.A foreign-backed buyer is normally not a title problem near Santiago.
PermitsEnvironmental review thresholds were raised on January 21, 2026. Evaluations since 2020 averaged 8.7 months.Fewer projects need review, but exemptions are being challenged.
IncentivesThe national plan offers guidance and mapping, not tax breaks.No subsidy will close a gap in power or zoning.
Political climateOrganized opposition in Cerrillos and Quilicura; a petition to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in August 2026.Wetlands, aquifers and neighbours are part of the site's value.

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Power: The Bottleneck Is the Connection

Chile's grid is run by the Coordinador Eléctrico Nacional (CEN). Under open access (acceso abierto), any party may ask to connect to transmission facilities, and the CEN runs the process through its online platform, with separate tracks for public-service and dedicated transmission. The detailed deadlines and guarantee amounts could not be read for this guide, so confirm them with the CEN or an electrical engineer.

A data center is a free customer (cliente libre). Customers with connected power above 5,000 kW must be free customers. Those from 300 kW to 5,000 kW may choose the free regime, a threshold the Ministry of Energy lowered from 500 kW, with a minimum stay of four years. A typical facility is 20–40 MW, so each one negotiates its own supply contract with a generator.

The queue is the problem. About 2 GW of data center capacity is seeking connection, against 407 MW from 7 facilities connected between June 2020 and May 2026, according to DCD. In May 2026 the national energy commission (CNE) warned that infrastructure is lagging data center demand. Power pressure has been flagged in Lampa and Huechuraba.

No official "typical time to power" was found, and you should be wary of anyone who quotes one. The indicators are these:

  • A 500 MW project at the Polpaico 500 kV substation in Tiltil schedules construction for January 2029 and operation for September 2030.
  • ACERA reports more than 70% of transmission projects delayed, by an average of 1.7 years.
  • The Kimal–Lo Aguirre line, 1,346 km from Antofagasta to the Metropolitan Region, was 20% built in September 2026 (US$422 million of US$1.5 billion executed) and is expected in service in 2029.
About 2 GW is asking for a connection. In six years, 407 MW got one. A site is worth what its path to the substation is worth.

Meanwhile, generation is wasted. Renewable curtailment (vertimientos, energy the grid cannot take) reached 6,084 GWh in 2025 according to ACERA, up 7.8%. Broker & Trader Energy, cited by Reporte Minero, puts it at 6,205 GWh, down 0.3%. Antofagasta accounted for 48.3% of it.

Backup generation above 3 MW is an environmental review trigger (see Permits). Rules for on-site primary generation were not covered by the sources; ask Chilean energy counsel. For load sizing, see How Much Power Does a Data Center Need? and Powered Land for Data Centers.

Water: A Separate Asset, and Now a Controversy Risk

In Chilean practice, water rights (derechos de aprovechamiento de aguas) are an asset separate from the land. They are recorded in their own water registry at the Conservador de Bienes Raíces (the property registrar) and can be transferred separately. Buying a parcel does not automatically mean buying its water. Confirm any specific right with counsel.

Ley 21.435, published April 6, 2022, reformed the Water Code. As summarised by the law firm Carey:

  • New rights are granted for up to 30 years and are renewable. Rights granted before the reform remain indefinite.
  • Rights can lapse for non-use: after 5 years for consumptive rights and 10 for non-consumptive ones, counted from inclusion on the non-use fee list.
  • Human consumption and sanitation take priority over productive uses.

A change of use between productive activities, such as from agriculture to industry, must be reported to the Dirección General de Aguas (DGA), the water authority. Failing to report brings fines, and the DGA can restrict the right if the change seriously harms the aquifer (Water Code, Art. 6 bis).

The Google Cerrillos lesson

Google's Cerrillos data center was approved in 2020 with permission to draw 169 litres per second from the Santiago Central Aquifer. On February 26, 2024, the Second Environmental Court partially annulled the approval and ordered the effects of climate change on the aquifer to be assessed. Google gave up the permit in September 2024 and redesigned for air cooling. Abundant groundwater is now a controversy risk, not a selling point.

Drought sharpens this. On June 5, 2026, the Maipo River board and the utility Aguas Andinas asked the DGA to declare water scarcity for the first section of the Maipo, which supplies more than 7.5 million people. Santiago had 4.3 mm of rain in May 2026 against an average of 42.6 mm. A buyer will ask how the site can be cooled with little water, not how much water it has. See Data Center Water & Cooling.

Who Can Buy the Land: Foreign Ownership Rules

Most data center buyers in Chile are foreign-backed. The general rule is simple: foreigners may buy private land freely. The exceptions are narrow.

  • Declared border zones. Under Decreto Ley 1.939 of 1977, Art. 7, nationals of bordering countries (Argentina, Bolivia and Peru) may not acquire real estate in an officially declared border zone unless a presidential decree authorizes it. The test is the formal zona fronteriza declaration, not distance.
  • Companies with foreign shareholders. The law firm Águila y Cía. notes that the shareholding thresholds cited for applying that rule to companies conflict (20% to 40%). This is unsettled; ask counsel.
  • State land. Fiscal (State-owned) land within 10 km of the border may go only to Chilean persons (Art. 6). This affects public-land concessions, not private sales.

None of the sources reviewed treats the Santiago comunas (municipalities) where data centers cluster as border zones. What a foreign-backed buyer needs from the seller is a current title certificate, a clean encumbrance certificate and confirmation that the land is neither indigenous land nor in a border zone. See What to Send.

Land and Zoning: Urban, Rural and What Cannot Be Sold

Title runs through the local Conservador de Bienes Raíces, which in standard practice issues the ownership and encumbrance certificates. The bigger question is whether the land sits inside the urban limit. Under Article 55 of the Ley General de Urbanismo y Construcciones (LGUC), building outside it is generally prohibited. Industrial and infrastructure projects need favourable reports from the agriculture service (SAG) and the regional housing and planning office (SEREMI MINVU) before the municipal works office (DOM) grants a permit.

The SAG report is the IFC, a feasibility report for non-agricultural construction in a rural area. According to SAG, the owner applies and files a rurality or zoning certificate, a title certificate dated within 180 days, a tax-service (SII) valuation certificate showing soil class, and plans. The field inspection fee is 7.45 UTM (a monthly tax unit set in pesos). The IFC does not remove agricultural status from the rest of the property, and SAG states no processing time.

CheckWhat the rule saysWhat to do
Inside the urban limitThe zoning plan decides permitted uses. How Santiago's metropolitan plan classifies a data center could not be confirmed.Get the zoning certificate from the DOM and have a planner confirm the use.
Rural land (Art. 55 LGUC)Industrial and infrastructure projects need favourable SAG and SEREMI MINVU reports.The owner files for the IFC. Fee: 7.45 UTM.
Rural lots (parcelas, DL 3.516)Rural land can be split into lots of no less than 0.5 hectares, which cannot be converted to urban or residential use.A parcela cannot change use on its own. It still needs the Art. 55 route.
Indigenous land (Ley 19.253)As reported, Art. 13 bars its sale except between indigenous persons or communities of the same ethnicity.Confirm the land's status with counsel before listing.
Border zones (DL 1.939)Nationals of Argentina, Bolivia and Peru need a presidential decree to acquire property there.Check the zone declaration and the buyer's shareholders.

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On indigenous land, Diario Constitucional reported on June 18, 2025 that the Supreme Court upheld the rejection of a broker's fee claim on an indigenous-land deal. The statute text was not read for this guide, so treat this as a flag for counsel. For parcel criteria, see Data Center Land Requirements.

Permits: What Changed in January 2026

Chile's environmental review system is the SEIA, run by the environmental assessment service (SEA). A project enters only if it meets a listed trigger. Decreto Supremo N°17 of 2025, in force since January 21, 2026, changed two of them.

  • Fuel storage. The threshold for flammable substances rose from 80 tonnes to 1,000 tonnes. For a data center, this is the diesel held for backup generators.
  • Power lines. A line now triggers review only if it exceeds both 23 kV and 2 km. Before, voltage alone was enough.
  • Generation. Generation above 3 MW still triggers review, and that includes backup generators.

The SEA also issued its first data center guide by resolution of January 20, 2026. According to the law firm Jara del Favero, it lists those three triggers and says step-down substations generally do not trigger entry alone. One caution: that summary still quotes the old storage figure. The figure in force is 1,000 tonnes.

The effect is large. Of 17 data centers evaluated since 2020, 15 would have fallen below the new fuel threshold, according to El Clip. A project that believes it is exempt can ask the SEA to confirm through a consulta de pertinencia, as Google did for Cerrillos in June 2026. Those requests are being contested: community organizations asked the SEA to require a full evaluation, and in August 2026 six organizations petitioned the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights over the changes.

When a project does enter, the 17 evaluated since 2020 averaged 8.7 months to approval, with a range of 5 to 17 months. Separately, Ley 21.770, the framework law on sectoral permits published September 29, 2025, allows sworn statements in place of some permits, binding maximum deadlines and a stability regime of up to 8 years, as summarised by Carey. Most of it depends on later regulations whose status could not be verified.

Where in Chile: The Santiago Comunas, Valparaíso and Antofagasta

MarketWhat is thereWhat to know
QuilicuraSix operating data centers, including Google's. Industrial land: 4.59 UF/m².The most established cluster. Residents link groundwater pumping to the local wetland.
Lampa, Colina and TiltilCampo de Datos Lampa (100 MW, 22 ha); a 500 MW request at Polpaico. Land: Lampa 4.06 and Colina 4.23 UF/m².Larger parcels near big transmission nodes. Power pressure flagged in Lampa.
HuechurabaAmazon's US$205 million site on 10.9 ha.Power pressure flagged here too.
Cerrillos, San Bernardo, Buin and Puente AltoGoogle Cerrillos (about 23 ha, 400 m from the Chena substation) and projects named in 2026 coverage.Cerrillos is the reference case for aquifer and wetland disputes.
Valparaíso RegionNew projects and one of the 500 MW connection requests.Emerging. Check the power path first.
Antofagasta RegionAt least 10 data center concession requests on fiscal land (June 2026).Policy is steering growth here, on State land.

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La Tercera reported in September 2026 that industrial land in the Metropolitan Region averaged 5.27 UF/m² in 2025, up 42% from 2017, with Pudahuel at 5.12. The UF (Unidad de Fomento) is Chile's inflation-indexed unit for pricing real estate. No price specific to data center sites was found.

Incentives and Policy: A Plan, Not a Subsidy

Chile's Plan Nacional de Data Centers (PDATA) 2024–2030 was launched on December 5, 2024 by the Ministry of Science. According to Carey's summary, its nine measures include a geospatial planning tool, a bilingual guide to critical permits and standardized SEIA criteria. It sets no megawatt target in the sources read and offers no tax incentive or subsidy. It is guidance, mapping and permitting clarity.

The most concrete action is on public land. As of June 8, 2026, the Ministry of National Assets reported at least 10 concession requests for data centers on fiscal land in the Antofagasta Region and said it was close to granting the first. Whether it has been granted since could not be confirmed.

The government changed in March 2026. No explicit statement from the current government on PDATA was found. Continuity is indicated by those concessions and by the SEA guide and SEIA decree taking effect in early 2026, but it is unconfirmed.

Community and Political Risk

Opposition in Chile is local, organized and effective. In Cerrillos, the municipality and 14 residents challenged Google's 2020 approval. Most later withdrew, but one resident continued and won the partial annulment in 2024. In 2026, the organizations OLCA and MOSACAT asked the SEA to require full evaluation of the redesigned project, citing its 44 generators totalling 120.25 MW, 695.9 tonnes of fuel and three wetlands within 4 km. The SEA's answer was not found.

In Quilicura, residents told Radio Universidad de Chile that the comuna hosts six data centers but gets no jobs, connectivity or compensation. El Clip reports 25 to 100 operating staff per data center. The municipality says it lacks scientific certainty of damage and supports both development and protection.

For a landowner, a parcel far from wetlands, with no claim on groundwater and a short connection to a substation, will draw less opposition. Tell a buyer early about any wetland, aquifer restriction or neighbour dispute.

Three Scenarios with the Math

These examples are illustrative. Figures marked as assumptions are chosen to show how the math works; they are not market quotes or appraisals. Land values are La Tercera's published 2025 industrial figures in UF/m², with no currency conversion.

Scenario 1 · Industrial Parcel · Lampa

22 hectares, 1.7 km from a substation

An owner holds 22 hectares (220,000 m²), the area reported for the 100 MW Campo de Datos Lampa project, or 0.22 hectares per megawatt. At the published Lampa industrial value of 4.06 UF/m², the reference value is 220,000 × 4.06 = 893,200 UF. A line of 1.7 km stays under the 2 km limit, so the line alone does not trigger the SEIA.

The catch: a 100 MW campus needs backup generation far above 3 MW (the Lampa project lists 45 generators of 2,500 kW, or 112.5 MW), so it enters environmental review anyway. And 4.06 UF/m² is an industrial average, not a price for a connected site.

Area
220,000 m²
Reference value
893,200 UF
Land per MW
0.22 ha
Line length
1.7 km
Scenario 2 · Rural Parcel · Colina

12 hectares outside the urban limit, with irrigation rights

A family holds 12 hectares (120,000 m²) of farmland outside the urban limit. Valued as rural land at an assumed 1.0 UF/m², it is worth 120,000 UF. The published industrial value for Colina is 4.23 UF/m², which would be 120,000 × 4.23 = 507,600 UF. The gap of 387,600 UF exists only if the project obtains favourable Art. 55 reports and has a documented path to power.

The catch: the irrigation rights are a separate asset, a change to industrial use must be reported to the DGA, and buyers now design around water. They add little to the price. The owner's first cost is the IFC and its 7.45 UTM inspection fee.

Rural value (assumed)
120,000 UF
Industrial reference
507,600 UF
Gap
387,600 UF
IFC inspection fee
7.45 UTM
Scenario 3 · Option and Commission · Quilicura

10.9 hectares under option while the buyer studies power

An owner holds 10.9 hectares (109,000 m²), the area reported for Amazon's Huechuraba site. At the published Quilicura industrial value of 4.59 UF/m², the reference price is 109,000 × 4.59 = 500,310 UF. A buyer rarely closes before it has a grid answer. With a paid option at an assumed 3% of price a year, the owner receives about 15,009 UF a year while the buyer runs its open access request.

The market reference for commission is 2% plus 19% IVA (value-added tax) from each side. Here that is 10,006 UF plus 1,901 UF of IVA, or about 11,907 UF per side, which is 2.38% of the price. It is set by contract, not by law.

Reference price
500,310 UF
Option fee / yr (assumed 3%)
~15,009 UF
Commission per side
~11,907 UF
Effective rate per side
2.38%

Eight Mistakes Landowners and Brokers Make

  1. Leading with hectares instead of megawatts. About 2 GW is queuing for connection and only 407 MW was connected in six years.
  2. Treating the water right as part of the land. Water rights are a separate registered asset, can lapse after 5 years on the non-use fee list (consumptive rights), and a switch from irrigation to industrial use must be reported to the DGA.
  3. Selling water as an advantage. Google's Cerrillos approval, which allowed 169 litres per second of groundwater, was partially annulled in court, and Google then gave up the permit. Abundant groundwater is now a controversy risk.
  4. Assuming rural land can simply be built on. Outside the urban limit, an industrial project needs favourable SAG and SEREMI MINVU reports under Art. 55 LGUC, and DL 3.516 lots cannot change use on their own.
  5. Saying data centers no longer need environmental review. DS 17 raised the thresholds, but generation above 3 MW, lines above 23 kV and longer than 2 km, and fuel storage above 1,000 tonnes still trigger the SEIA. Exemption requests are being contested.
  6. Ignoring the neighbours and the municipality. The Cerrillos municipality litigated, Quilicura residents are organized, and groups are challenging the 2026 Cerrillos relaunch.
  7. Pricing off headline investment figures. Published industrial land values run about 4 to 5 UF/m² in Lampa, Colina, Quilicura and Pudahuel. An US$850 million project says nothing about what the land is worth.
  8. Offering land that cannot legally be sold to the buyer. Indigenous land is reported as not saleable to non-indigenous buyers, and declared border zones are closed to nationals of neighbouring countries unless a presidential decree authorizes the purchase.

What to Send: The Documents a Buyer Will Ask For

Gather these before you market the site. SAG's requirements are confirmed on its own page; the rest is standard practice to confirm with your lawyer.

  • Certificado de dominio vigente (current ownership certificate from the Conservador), dated within 180 days.
  • Certificado de hipotecas, gravámenes y prohibiciones (mortgages, encumbrances and prohibitions).
  • Carpeta de estudio de títulos (10-year title folder).
  • Rol de avalúo (the parcel's tax ID) and the SII valuation certificate with soil class.
  • Certificado de informaciones previas (zoning certificate from the DOM) or a rurality certificate.
  • Substation data: distance and route to the nearest substation, its voltage and the line length.
  • Any open access request or CEN response for the site.
  • Inscripción de derechos de agua (water-rights registration), if any, with use status and non-use fee history.
  • Environmental context: distance to wetlands and any aquifer restriction.
  • Confirmation that the land is not indigenous land and not in a declared border zone.
  • Site basics: survey, parcel plan, access roads and fibre routes.

For Landowners in Chile

Landowners

Own land in Chile near power? Get a confidential site read.

If you own land in Chile near a substation or a high-voltage line, Carson Jones will give you a confidential read on whether it can compete for data center use and which path makes sense: a sale, an option, or contributing the land for equity. Send:

  • Location pin and hectares
  • Comuna, and whether the land is inside the urban limit or rural
  • Nearest substation and its voltage (110/220/500 kV), and the line distance
  • Water rights (if any) and their status
  • Title and zoning certificates

For Brokers in Chile

Brokers

A broker in Chile? Co-broker data center land with Carson.

If you are a corredor de propiedades in Chile with a land listing that has a power story, or a client looking for data center sites, let's work together. Carson brings U.S. and global buyers, capital partners and equity participation through the eXp Commercial platform. You bring the local knowledge and the relationship.

  • Written broker-to-broker co-brokerage or referral agreement before any introduction
  • You perform all brokerage services in Chile; Carson does not practice brokerage in Chile
  • Chile has no broker licence or official registry. You need your SII registration (inicio de actividades) and a municipal patente, and you issue the invoices
  • Because brokerage is unlicensed, the co-brokerage is a private written contract. Confirm its tax and invoicing treatment with Chilean counsel
  • Best fit: industrial and land specialists in Quilicura, Lampa, Colina, Tiltil, Huechuraba, Cerrillos, San Bernardo and the Valparaíso Region

The market reference is 2% plus IVA per side. A broker registry was still only a proposal in May 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How big is Chile's data center market?
Colliers counts 255 MW operating in 36 data centers as of the first half of 2026, more than 120 MW under construction and 367.8 MW planned through 2031. Other trackers differ: Radio Universidad de Chile reported 33 operating facilities in March 2026 and El Clip cited about 300 MW in 2025, so figures vary by method.
Where are data centers being built in Chile?
Almost all are in the Santiago Metropolitan Region: Quilicura, Lampa, Colina, Huechuraba, Cerrillos, San Bernardo, Buin, Puente Alto and Tiltil, with new projects in the Valparaíso Region. The government is steering future growth toward Antofagasta, where at least 10 fiscal-land concession requests were pending in June 2026.
How many hectares does a data center need?
Reported examples in Chile are 10.9 hectares for Amazon's Huechuraba site, 22 hectares for the 100 MW Campo de Datos Lampa project and about 23 hectares for Google Cerrillos. Size matters less than access to power.
How close must my land be to a substation?
There is no fixed rule, but since January 21, 2026 a power line above 23 kV that is also longer than 2 km triggers environmental assessment. Reported projects sit 400 m from their substation (Google Cerrillos, 110 kV) and 1.7 km (Campo de Datos Lampa).
How long does it take to get power for a data center in Chile?
No official typical figure was found. About 2 GW of data center load is waiting for connection, more than 70% of transmission projects run an average of 1.7 years late according to ACERA, and one 500 MW project plans to start construction in January 2029 and operate in September 2030.
How do data centers buy electricity in Chile?
As free customers. Customers with connected power above 5,000 kW must be free customers, and those between 300 kW and 5,000 kW may choose that regime. A free customer negotiates its own supply contract with a generator, and the grid connection is requested through the open access process run by the Coordinador Eléctrico Nacional.
Will the Kimal–Lo Aguirre line solve the power problem?
It will help, but not soon. The 1,346 km line from Antofagasta to the Metropolitan Region was 20% built in September 2026 and is expected in service in 2029. Until then, renewable energy in the north keeps being curtailed: between 6,084 GWh (ACERA) and 6,205 GWh (Broker & Trader Energy) in 2025.
Do I need water rights to sell land to a data center?
Not necessarily. Google redesigned its Cerrillos project for air cooling after a court partially annulled its approval over groundwater use, and buyers now ask how a site can be cooled with little water. If you do hold rights, check that they are registered and not at risk of lapsing for non-use.
Can I use my irrigation water rights for industrial use?
A change of use between productive activities must be reported to the Dirección General de Aguas (DGA). Failing to report brings fines, and the DGA may restrict the right if the change seriously harms the aquifer. Confirm the steps for your specific right with a water lawyer.
Are water rights sold together with the land in Chile?
Not automatically. In Chilean practice, water rights are a separate asset recorded in their own registry at the Conservador de Bienes Raíces and can be transferred separately. Since the 2022 reform (Ley 21.435), new rights are granted for up to 30 years (renewable) and consumptive rights can lapse after 5 years on the non-use fee list.
My land is agricultural. Can a data center be built on it?
Only with favourable reports from SAG and SEREMI MINVU under Article 55 of the Ley General de Urbanismo y Construcciones, followed by a municipal building permit. The owner applies for the SAG report (the IFC), which needs title, zoning and SII documents and has a field inspection fee of 7.45 UTM.
Can I subdivide my rural parcel and sell part of it for a data center?
DL 3.516 allows rural land to be subdivided into lots of no less than 0.5 physical hectares, but those lots cannot be converted to urban or residential use. Subdividing does not change what can be built. An industrial project on a rural lot still needs the Article 55 reports.
Does a data center need environmental approval in Chile?
It depends on thresholds. Since January 21, 2026, fuel storage must exceed 1,000 tonnes and power lines must exceed both 23 kV and 2 km to trigger the SEIA; generation above 3 MW, including backup generators, is also a trigger. The 17 data centers evaluated since 2020 averaged 8.7 months to approval.
What is a consulta de pertinencia?
It is a request asking the environmental assessment service (SEA) to confirm whether a project must enter the SEIA. Google used it in June 2026 for its redesigned Cerrillos project. These requests are being contested by community organizations, and six organizations petitioned the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in August 2026 over the rule changes.
Can a foreign company buy my land in Chile?
Generally yes. The main limit is DL 1.939, which bars nationals of bordering countries from acquiring property in declared border zones without a presidential decree. Indigenous land under Ley 19.253 is reported as not saleable to non-indigenous buyers; confirm both points with counsel.
Is there a tax incentive for data centers in Chile?
Not in the national plan. The Plan Nacional de Data Centers 2024–2030 offers a planning map, a permits guide and standardized evaluation criteria, but no tax incentive or subsidy in the summary published by the law firm Carey. No explicit statement on the plan from the government that took office in March 2026 was found.
Is the State offering public land for data centers?
In the Antofagasta Region, yes. As of June 8, 2026, the Ministry of National Assets reported at least 10 concession requests for data centers on fiscal land there and said it was close to granting the first. Whether it has been granted since could not be confirmed.
Do I need a licence to broker land in Chile, and what is the commission?
No licence or official registry exists. A corredor de propiedades needs SII registration and a municipal patente. The market reference for sales is 2% plus IVA from each side, set by contract and not by law. Deputies proposed a mandatory registry in May 2026, but no registry law was found as of October 2026.
How does a U.S. broker work with a Chilean broker on a data center deal?
Through a written broker-to-broker co-brokerage or referral agreement signed before any introduction. The Chilean corredor performs all brokerage services in Chile, and the U.S. broker brings buyers, capital and equity partners and does not practice brokerage in Chile. Because brokerage is unlicensed in Chile, the agreement is a private contract, and its tax and invoicing treatment should be confirmed with Chilean counsel.
What is my land worth to a data center buyer?
Published 2025 industrial land values are 5.12 UF/m² in Pudahuel, 4.59 in Quilicura, 4.23 in Colina and 4.06 in Lampa, according to La Tercera. No published price specific to data center sites was found. Value depends on power access, zoning and how exposed the site is to water and community disputes.

Sources

  1. REDIMIN — Chile suma 34 desarrollos de data centers (Sep 22, 2026)
  2. Radio Universidad de Chile — El agua que usa la IA es chilena (Mar 4, 2026)
  3. El Clip — Alfombra roja en Chile para los data centers (Sep 12, 2025)
  4. El Clarín (Chile) — Data centers en Chile: el costo ambiental (Sep 30, 2026)
  5. BioBioChile — Google busca revivir Data Center en Cerrillos (Sep 4, 2026)
  6. TransMedia — Coordinador Eléctrico Nacional recibe solicitudes de datacenters de IA (Sep 27, 2026)
  7. DCD — Chile busca conexión para 1 GW de nuevos data centers (Aug 19, 2026)
  8. Carey Abogados — Launch of the National Data Centers Plan 2024-2030 (Dec 2024)
  9. Diario Financiero — Bienes Nacionales avanza en concesiones para data centers (Jun 8, 2026)
  10. Prieto Abogados — Umbral mínimo de potencia para clientes libres (Dec 9, 2024)
  11. ChileAtiende — Acceso abierto del CEN (accessed Oct 2, 2026)
  12. ACERA — ACERA presenta balance 2025 del sistema eléctrico (Jan 7, 2026)
  13. Reporte Minero — Vertimiento renovable llegó a 6.205 GWh en 2025 (Jan 21, 2026)
  14. Reporte Minero — Kimal-Lo Aguirre alcanza un 20% de avance (Sep 10, 2026)
  15. Carey Abogados — Entra en vigor la reforma al Código de Aguas (Apr 2022)
  16. iura.cl — Artículo 6 bis del Código de Aguas (accessed Oct 2, 2026)
  17. El Mostrador — Piden declarar escasez hídrica en la cuenca del Maipo (Jun 5, 2026)
  18. País Circular — Tribunal Ambiental frena Cerrillos Data Center de Google (Feb 2024)
  19. Águila y Cía. — Compra de terrenos fronterizos por extranjeros en Chile (Sep 10, 2026)
  20. Fontaine & Cía. — Subdivisiones y construcciones en terrenos rurales (2021)
  21. SAG — Solicitud de informe de factibilidad (IFC) (accessed Oct 2, 2026)
  22. Diario Constitucional — Corte Suprema: corretaje de terreno indígena (Jun 18, 2025)
  23. SEA — Principales cambios al Reglamento del SEIA (Jan 16, 2026)
  24. BioBioChile — Solicitan a CIDH explicaciones por regulaciones de data centers (Aug 22, 2026)
  25. Jara del Favero — Nueva guía SEA para proyectos de Data Center (Jan 2026)
  26. Carey Abogados — Nueva Ley Marco de Autorizaciones Sectoriales (Sep–Oct 2025)
  27. Learning Group — Requisitos legales del corredor de propiedades (Jun 27, 2025)
  28. Emol — Diputados piden regular a corredores de propiedades (May 12, 2026)
  29. RE/MAX First — Cuánto cobra un corredor de propiedades en Chile (Sep 2, 2026)
  30. La Tercera — Valor del suelo urbano en la Región Metropolitana, 2017–2025 (Sep 17, 2026)

Related guides

Data Center Site Selection in Latin America · Mexico · Brazil · Colombia · Data Centers: The Complete Guide · Data Center Site Selection · Data Center Land Requirements · How Much Power Does a Data Center Need? · Powered Land for Data Centers · Water & Cooling · Fiber & Connectivity

Educational information only — not legal, tax, engineering, or investment advice. Chile land, water, energy, and brokerage rules change frequently; confirm every point with local counsel, a locally authorized broker, and the relevant authorities before acting. Carson Jones is licensed in Tennessee and does not practice real estate brokerage in Chile; transactions there are handled by locally authorized brokers under written co-brokerage or referral agreements. Scenario figures are illustrative, not quotes or appraisals.

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Carson Jones

Carson Jones

Founder · Passive Investments · eXp Commercial

Carson Jones is the host of Carson's Corner: Commercial Real Estate, author of The Red Flag Playbook, a licensed commercial real estate advisor and business broker, and the founder of Passive Investments. With 18 years of experience as an entrepreneur and 12 years specializing in passive investing, Carson works with high-net-worth individuals, family offices, business owners, and sophisticated investors as a broker, principal, and capital partner.

Carson holds a BBA in Finance from Baylor University and his Tennessee commercial real estate license (#382989). He actively pursues acquisition and equity opportunities across the United States through a nationwide network of qualified buyers, family offices, institutional investors, and top-tier developers.

This article is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered tax, legal, accounting, or investment advice. Tax laws are complex and change frequently. Always consult your CPA, attorney, and financial advisor before making any financial, tax, or investment decisions. All investments and property ownership carry risk, including the potential loss of principal. Carson Jones, Passive Investments, and the author make no guarantees regarding the tax treatment, performance, or outcome of any specific investment strategy described in this article.