Environmental authorities in Chile ruled in early April 2026 that Amazon Web Services can move forward with a major data center complex on the northern outskirts of Santiago, rejecting a challenge brought by local residents who argued the project’s environmental review was incomplete.
Residents, including local community member Patricio Hernandez, opposed the development over concerns that it would harm a hillside green space valued by the community for recreation and nature. Their central legal argument was that the permit failed to account for a high-voltage power line they believe would be required to supply the site. Authorities dismissed that argument, ruling that any future power line plans should be assessed through a separate environmental process.
AWS, the data center division of Amazon, said the facility was designed with resource efficiency in mind. “Our approach has been to design this infrastructure with a strong emphasis on resource efficiency, incorporating technologies that minimize both energy and water consumption,” said Rafael Mattje, AWS Southern Cone technology chief. The company says the complex, located roughly 8 kilometers north of Santiago’s city center, is expected to operate for approximately 30 years.
The project is part of a broader AWS commitment to invest more than $4 billion in Chile over the next 15 years to build, operate, and maintain infrastructure. Chile is set to become AWS’s third major hub in Latin America, after São Paulo, Brazil, and central Mexico.
Chile’s appeal to data center developers is driven by high fiber optic connectivity and a regulatory environment that may become more business-friendly under new President José Antonio Kast, who has pledged to reduce bureaucratic hurdles. Sebastian Diaz, a sustainable city specialist and former advisor to Chile’s national data center plan, described Chile as “a magnet for this industry,” while also cautioning that the country must balance investment attraction with protections for people and the environment.
For Hernandez and his neighbors, the outcome means the landscape they rely on daily could change significantly. “We wake up every day to a green hill that brings us a little joy amid the gray of the city,” he said.
Source: Tech-Economic Times