Uruguay successfully transitioned to a national grid powered predominantly by wind and solar energy within about a decade, resulting in reduced electricity costs and a significant reduction in blackouts.
Mostly True
Uruguay built a national wind + solar grid in 10 years. Bills dropped. Blackouts vanished.
Uruguay, pioneer in renewable energy: a model for the world? » Yale Climate Connections
Source: yaleclimateconnections.org
At a glance
Verified August 15, 2025Key Evidence
NPR reports that Uruguay’s National Director of Energy from 2008-2015 led plans resulting in 98% green energy powering the grid.
npr.orgnpr.orgHow did Uruguay cut carbon emissions? The answer is blowing in the wind : Planet...
The Guardian highlights Uruguay’s rapid shift to wind power after 2008’s oil price spike, achieving up to 98% renewable electricity.
theguardian.comtheguardian.comUruguay’s green power revolution: rapid shift to wind shows the world how it’s...
Wikipedia confirms that within about 10 years, Uruguay covered over 94% of its electricity needs with renewables including wind and solar.
en.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.orgEnergy in Uruguay
Yale Climate Connections notes blackouts became very rare starting around 2010 due to diversified renewable sources.
yaleclimateconnections.orgyaleclimateconnections.orgUruguay, pioneer in renewable energy: a model for the world? » Yale Climate...
The reporting
What the Evidence Shows
Uruguay began a major shift toward renewable energy around 2008, motivated by the spike in oil prices and the desire for energy independence.
Over approximately 10 years, the country invested heavily in wind and solar power infrastructure, alongside other renewables, achieving coverage of over 90% of its electricity needs from renewable sources by the mid-2010s.
This transition led to a more stable electricity grid with very rare blackouts, as well as lower electricity bills for consumers due to reduced reliance on imported fossil fuels.
Multiple sources confirm that by the early 2020s, Uruguay's grid was powered up to 98% by renewables, primarily wind and solar, making it a global leader in clean energy adoption.
While the claim that blackouts 'vanished' is slightly optimistic, blackouts became very rare rather than completely eliminated, the overall trend is a dramatic improvement in grid reliability.
The reduction in electricity bills is supported by reports citing lower costs due to renewable energy's low marginal cost once infrastructure was established.
In summary, Uruguay's rapid build-out of a national wind and solar grid over roughly a decade led to cleaner energy, lower bills, and near-elimination of blackouts, validating the core of the claim with minor nuance on blackout frequency.
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