Uruguay Expands Solar Energy as Electricity Demand Increases
Uruguay''s current installed wind power capacity is 1,500 megawatts (MW) and its photovoltaic power capacity is 300 MW. Spinelli says the expansion plan developed by her department
The results speak for themselves. Today, Uruguay produces nearly 99% of its electricity from renewable sources, with only a small fraction—roughly 1%–3%—coming from flexible thermal plants, such as those powered by natural gas. They are used only when hydroelectric power cannot fully cover periods when wind and solar energy are low.
A number of photovoltaic solar power plants have been built. The use of nuclear energy in Uruguay is prohibited by law 16.832 of 1997.
The country's thermal power plants rarely need to be activated, except when natural resources are insufficient. Half of Uruguay's electricity is generated in the country's dams, and 10% percent comes from agricultural and industrial waste and the sun. But wind, at 38%, is the main protagonist of the revolution in the electrical grid.
Nearly all of Uruguay's grid runs on green energy. Here's what to know Only 2% of the electricity consumed in Uruguay is generated from fossil sources. Wind turbines in Maldonado outskirts, Uruguay. [Photo: Getty Images]
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