Hot Dam: How Hydro Storage Will Allow Uruguay To Join The 100% Renewables Club
In recent years, 50-60% of Uruguay’s power has been generated from the country’s four hydroelectric dams on the River Uruguay. Most of the remainder comes from renewable energy sources such as solar panels and wind turbines. That combination has turned the country into the world’s poster child for low-carbon energy. The one remaining sticking point is storage. Without it, renewables can only be used as they are generated. Hydro storage provides reliability and flexibility to a renewables-based grid by creating a huge, continuously rechargeable battery that is entirely powered by the elements.