Uruguay graphene energy storage power station

In the same way Uruguay's abundance of wind and rivers proved fortuitous for energy sovereignty, so was the government's oversight of the electric grid.

Once a net importer of energy, Uruguay now exports its surplus energy to neighbouring Brazil and Argentina. In less than two decades, Uruguay broke free of its dependence on oil imports and carbon emitting power generation, transitioning to renewable energy that is owned by the state but with infrastructure paid for by private investment.

Avoiding nuclear power entirely, Uruguay first embraced wind turbines as a source of cheap, reliable power; providing 40% of the country's capacity in less than a decade.

Ramón Mendéz Galain believes so. Uruguay's former national director of energy in the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining, who was the impetus for the country's shift away from dirty fuels, has been promoting the country's success as a repeatable framework of energy sovereignty for developing countries.

A relatively small nation spanning 175,000 square kilometres (76,568 square miles) with a population of 3.4 million – 96% of whom live in urban centres – Uruguay has no significant fossil fuel reserves. Fortuitously, its geography makes it ideal for utilizing powerful rivers and uninterrupted grasslands for wind energy.

What Can We Learn From Uruguay's Transition? Energy sovereignty is the right and the ability for communities to control and develop their energy systems in the way they decide, unbeholden to private interests or external pressures that would undermine that right.