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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that without systemic regulatory changes and local stakeholder engagement, renewables will remain disadvantaged by outdated energy frameworks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
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