Does Uruguay have a renewable power grid?

Well, the South American country of Uruguay has successfully done it. In an average year, 98% of the energy used to run its power grid comes from renewable sources - hydropower, biomass, solar and lots of wind. Erika Beras from the Planet Money team interviews the architect of the plan that made this possible.

What was the energy grid like in Uruguay?

Uruguay's energy grid was powered almost exclusively by domestically created, renewable energy, and, adjusted for inflation, consumer prices had gone down. Today, there are more than 700 wind turbines installed across Uruguay's countryside. "It was absolutely a complete transformation," says Méndez Galain.

Does Uruguay have solar power?

While only about two percent of Uruguay’s total energy production comes from solar sources currently, the potential for solar power in Uruguay is encouraging given the country receives an average of 1,700 KW per square meter of sunlight each year.

Should Uruguay switch to green electricity?

Uruguay, one of South America’s smallest countries, is attracting outsized attention over its transition to green electricity. It didn’t happen simply by building a bunch of wind and solar farms, the architect of the strategy said, but by rethinking the entire energy system. And, he said, other countries could do that too.

Is Uruguay a repeatable framework of energy sovereignty for developing countries?

Ramón Mendéz Galain believes so. Uruguay’s former national director of energy in the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining, who was the impetus for the country’s shift away from dirty fuels, has been promoting the country’s success as a repeatable framework of energy sovereignty for developing countries.

How did the Frente Amplio transform Uruguay's energy landscape?

Just how this happened is worth noting. To transform its energy landscape, the Frente Amplio, or FA, Uruguay’s governing party from 2005 to 2020, recognized the reality of a country dependent on importing fossil fuels while living in an ideal location for solar, wind, and hydraulic power generation.