In 2007, Uruguay had a massive problem with no obvious fix. The economy of this country of 3.5 million people was growing, but there wasn't enough energy to power all that growth. Ramón Méndez Galain was, at the time, a particle physicist, but he wanted to apply his scientific mind to this issue. He started researching different energy sources and eventually wrote up a plan for how Uruguay's power grid could transition to renewable energy. It would be better for the climate, and, he thought, in the long run it would be the most economical choice Uruguay could make. Méndez Galain shared his plan online and in a series of informal lectures. Then, one day he received a phone call from the office of the president of Uruguay, inviting him to put his plan into action. Countries all over the world have announced lofty goals to reduce the emissions that cause climate change. But Uruguay actually did it. In a typical year, 98% of Uruguay's grid is powered by green energy. How did it get there? It involved a scientist, an innovative approach to infrastructure funding, and a whole lot of wind. Today's show was hosted by Erika Beras and Amanda Aroncyzk. It was produced by Willa Rubin with help from Emma Peaslee. It was engineered by Maggie Luthar, fact-checked by Sierra Juarez and edited by Keith Romer. Alex Goldmark is our executive producer. Help support Planet Money and get bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
This week, NPR is doing something new, dedicating an entire week to stories and conversations about the search for solutions to climate change.
Today we are bringing you a story about a giant environmental revolution in a tiny country.
This is planet money from NPR.
Last month, we traveled thousands of miles to Uruguay, this tiny country tucked in between Argentina and Brazil, to hear a pretty wild story from a a man named Ramon Mendez Galigne.
We met him at his house in Montevideo.
Hola.
Hola, Ramon.
Mucho Gusto.
Ramon says the story starts back in 2007.
His little country had a massive problem, one that had no obvious fix.
The economy of this country of 3.5 million people was growing, and there wasn't enough energy to power all of that growth.
So it was difficult for us to cope.
It was difficult to get electricity.
There was energy rationing for some time.
We're beginning to have blackouts.
People's electricity bills, they'd gone way up from just a few years earlier.
Ramon, at the time, he worked as a particle physicist.
I worked for many years trying to understand what happened after the big bang, what was the physics of the big bang, and how matter was organized in the universe and these kind of things.
When I hear the big bang theory, I just think of the tv show now.
Absolutely.