He got an entire country running on clean energy. Can he do it again?

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Washington Post or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Ramón Méndez Galain, the physicist-turned-energy secretary who led Uruguay’s transformation to 98% renewable electricity in just five years, is now aiming to replicate that success globally
• Galain has been awarded the $4 million Climate Breakthrough prize to expand his work through his nonprofit Ivy, which supports governments seeking to decarbonize their energy systems
• His goal: help 50 countries chart their own clean energy transitions within the next decade

🔭 The context: When Galain assumed office in 2008, Uruguay was facing a severe energy crisis and dependent on expensive fossil fuel imports
• Rejecting nuclear power as a solution, Galain instead developed a science-based roadmap for a renewable future By 2015, Uruguay had nearly eliminated fossil fuels from its power grid, leveraging wind, solar, hydropower, and sustainable biomass
• Key to this success was cross-party political support, regulatory reform, private sector collaboration, and a data-driven approach to system stability

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Uruguay’s rapid transition offers a compelling blueprint for climate-resilient, low-emissions energy systems—especially in small and import-reliant countries
• Galain’s model demonstrates that clean energy is not only feasible but economically and socially beneficial, slashing costs, increasing energy sovereignty, and creating tens of thousands of jobs
• Scaling this approach across regions could accelerate global progress toward net-zero targets and reduce dependence on fossil fuel infrastructure

⏭️ What's next: With the Climate Breakthrough funding, Galain’s Ivy nonprofit will expand technical advisory work across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Current partners include Argentina, Panama, and the Dominican Republic
• The initiative will prioritize countries without fossil fuel reserves, using Uruguay’s transformation as proof-of-concept
• Galain argues that without systemic regulatory changes and local stakeholder engagement, renewables will remain disadvantaged by outdated energy frameworks

💬 One quote: “We proved that yes, it is possible to manage a power system with almost 100 percent renewables,” said Ramón Méndez Galain

📈 One stat: Uruguay’s electricity mix reached 99.1% renewable in 2024, creating 50,000 new jobs—roughly 3% of the country’s workforce

See on illuminem's Data Hub™ the sustainability performance of energy companies like Enel, Ørsted and Iberdrola, and  Engie

Click for more news covering the latest on energy transition and ethical governance