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.

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.

How much energy does Uruguay need?

The Solution to Intermittency Renewable sources—hydroelectric power, wind, biomass, and solar energy—now cover up to 98% of Uruguay’s energy needs in a normal year and still over 90% in a very dry one, according to Méndez.

Does Uruguay have a wind power auction?

In 2009, Uruguay started holding auctions in which different wind companies from around the world came to bid on how cheaply they'd sell renewable energy to the country. In 2011, Uruguay held an auction intended to secure 150 megawatts of new wind power, which would have represented about 5% of the country's energy generating capacity.

What is Uruguay's energy future?

His vision for Uruguay's energy future was to cover that empty land with hundreds of wind turbines. Today, wind power accounts for around 40% of Uruguay's energy production. And, according to a 2008 law, all the wind in the country officially belongs to the Uruguayan people.

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.