Enersis SA's (ENI, ENERSIS.SN) third-quarter net profit slipped 18.5% on the year to CLP117.27 billion pesos ($234.1 million), due to reduced hydroelectric power generation in Chile and lower sales and tax changes in Colombia, the Chilean energy holding company reported Wednesday.

The company's third-quarter sales also slipped, falling to CLP1.588 trillion from CLP1.645 trillion a year earlier.

Ebitda, or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization fell 9.9% from a year earlier, to CLP1.511 trillion for the January through September period, Enersis said without providing comparable figures for the third quarter.

Enersis' power generation unit, Empresa Nacional de Electricidad SA (EOC, ENDESA.SN), was forced to use more expensive thermal generation and purchase energy on the spot market to cover its contracts as a prolonged drought cut hydroelectric power production.

Endesa has 13,846 megawatts of installed capacity in Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru, and owns an equity stake in 987 MW of installed capacity in Brazil.

In addition to all of Endesa's assets, Enersis also owns power-distribution and transmission businesses in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Peru.

Generation and transmission account for 54% of Enersis' sales, while distribution makes up the remainder.

Spain's Endesa SA (ELEZF, ELE.MC) owns Enersis, which in turn owns Chile's largest power generator, Empresa Nacional de Electricidad SA, also known as Endesa.

-By Anthony Esposito, Dow Jones Newswires; 56-2-715-8929; anthony.esposito@dowjones.com