Chuck Darwin
Uruguay did what most nations still call impossible:
it built a power grid that runs almost entirely on renewables
—at half the cost of fossil fuels.
The physicist who led that transformation says the same playbook could work anywhere
—if governments have the courage to change the rules.
For Ramon Méndez Galain,
the energy transition isn’t just about climate
—it’s about economics.
Uruguay’s shift to renewables, he argues,
demonstrated that clean energy can be cheaper, more stable, and create more jobs than fossil fuels.
Once the country adjusted the playing field that had long favored oil and gas,
renewables outperformed on every front:
halving costs,
creating 50,000 jobs,
and protecting the economy from price shocks.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kensilverstein/2025/10/19/uruguays-renewable-charge-a-small-nation-a-big-lesson-for-the-world/
Uruguay’s Renewable Charge: A Small Nation, A Big Lesson For The World

Uruguay built a power grid that runs 99% on renewables—at half the cost of fossil fuels. Here’s how its bold energy overhaul became a global model.

Forbes
Nov 27 at 10:04pmWeb
Show threadPrincesa Jujuba FedIverso 👸Nov 27
@cdarwin pátria charrua terra de artigas primeiro criador de uma lei de reforma agrária no UY ,primeiro país legalizar divórcio e legalizar a maconha em região sul
Show threadJames GilbertNov 27
@cdarwin Costa Rica did the same.
Show threadNu ModularNov 27
@cdarwin Are many #TechBros #Broligarchy located in Uruguay? Super PAC's wanna know...
Show threadearthlingNov 28

@cdarwin

"The question is not whether renewables can work. The question is whether governments have the courage to change the rules. If they do, the rest is straightforward.”

Méndez Galain

The world overlooks Uruguay’s example at its own risk. In fact, renewables are ready, the playbook is in place, and the advantages are tangible. The only missing ingredient is the political will, which is often clouded by self-interest and money.

#quotes
#renewables
#Uruguay

Show threadKarl-Heinz ZimmerNov 29

@appassionato @cdarwin

Of course there are positive countries in #Europe, too.

I love the way Denmark now is building more and more #windenergy areas. In my opinion, Ørsted A/S is one of the most interesting companies. :)

Show threadA Dog With An OpinionNov 28
@cdarwin Smaller countries, yes. For larger ones like India - where installed capacities of RE now surpass 50% - it's also about building the transmission lines, upgrading the grid, fixing storage puzzle, discoms etc for which the transition time is huge (also considering the land acquisition, impact on small scale farmers, fishers etc). And without the promised climate finance and tech knowledge transfer trickling in, the hurdles are higher. So there is no one-size-fits-all formula here.
Show threadKees AntiFA van MalssenNov 28
@ab @cdarwin what makes India different from a set of many smaller entities? It is not as if Uruguay is completely isolated from the countries around it. So also for India (or any other country) doing it for a sizeable area and connecting the dots will do it. Again: it is absolute possible, as soon as there is political will to do so.
Show threadALNov 28
@ab @cdarwin
it sounds like the problem is "big"; big countries have created big corps and high concentration of wealth.
If we had more smaller groups and cooperation instead of winner take all competition we could have a better world.
Show threadTom RitchfordNov 28

@ab @cdarwin Why would it not be easier for bigger countries, because of economies of scale?

> it's also about building the transmission lines, upgrading the grid, fixing storage puzzle, discoms

Why would Uruguay not have these issues?

India has a population density that's 20 times as great as Uruguay!

Show threadA Dog With An OpinionNov 28

@TomSwirly @cdarwin

For ex, India often generates solar and wind power in remote, resource-rich states, but major demand is in distant cities and industries. Transmission lines haven’t expanded fast enough (not easy to acquire land in a federal governance structure) so clean power can’t always be moved to where it’s needed. This leads to bottlenecks, losses, and under-use of renewable capacity. A lot of such factors are at play when a country has to switch to renewables.

Show threadA Dog With An OpinionNov 28
@TomSwirly @cdarwin It's great if Uruguay has shown the way. But in another country where 500 million+ depends on farming and where average landholding is less than 2 hectares, greenfield expansion could be a politically sensitive topic. India is one such. Of course with political will a lot can be done. But when solar farms/windmills end up taking away farms lands, rivers and coastal zones that presents a new set of problems.
Show threadGrassroots JoeNov 28

@ab

Hogwash. Distributed solar + storage can be deployed throughout urban areas + heat pumps to reduce demand.
They can install distributed energy resources and use them to "build" virtual power plants.

Pakistan has deployed huge amounts of small scale solar with minimal government investment:
"Farmers, too, were among the earliest movers in the agricultural sector’s shift away from using diesel generators and/or an unreliable power grid."
https://www.wri.org/insights/pakistan-solar-energy-boom

@TomSwirly @cdarwin

The Perfect Storm Fueling Pakistan’s Solar Boom

Market forces are encouraging a people-led clean energy transformation in Pakistan from fossil fuels to solar power.

World Resources Institute
Show threadScotty TreesNov 28
@cdarwin should we all be moving to Uruguay now? 🤔
Show threadGrovewestNov 28
@cdarwin Uruguay is one of the freest progressive social democracies in the world. Most of the worlds leadership, including both parties in the US, does not want what they have and will do anything to prevent it.
Show threadDonCCNov 28

@cdarwin

bloody brilliant!

Show threadMichael HerzogNov 28
@cdarwin But what if burning the planet is my job ;/
Show threadJohnnieMacNov 28
@cdarwin It can work at all scales and does not have to happen at once. We just had our system inspected and approved this morning by the utility and are now contributing 8kw-h to the grid. I never thought it would in my lifetime.
Show threadCavallo PazzoNov 29
@cdarwin "if governments have the courage to change the rules." - but they don't have and they don't want.
Show threadDavvaDec 19
@cdarwin
I think the lesson is that most nations are not run for the benefit of their citizens, but for the benefit of the wealthy.