How much electricity does Uruguay generate from wind & solar?

Uruguay generates nearly half of its electricity from wind and solar, more than any other country in Latin America and the Caribbean. Source: Visual Capitalist: Solar & Wind Power by Country © 2020 The World Bank, Source: Global Solar Atlas 2.0, Solar resource data: Solargis.

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.

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.

Where does Uruguay get its energy from?

Uruguay primarily imports natural gas from Argentina via the Gasoducto Cruz del Sur. As of May 2021, there are no new projects proposed for oil and gas in Uruguay. Uruguay generates nearly half of its electricity from wind and solar, more than any other country in Latin America and the Caribbean.

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.