Wind and solar overtake coal in Chile

For the first time, wind and solar generated more of Chile's electricity than coal over a 12-month period (October 2021 to September 2022), with wind and solar accounting for 27.5% and coal 26.5%. Since 2016, wind and solar have met all growth in electricity demand, contributing to a 6% drop in annual power sector emissions between 2016 and 2021 despite an 11% increase in demand. Chile aims for 80% renewable electricity by 2030 and a zero-emissions grid by 2050, though the report notes that IEA guidelines suggest a coal phase-out by 2030 for OECD countries.

• Between October 2021 and September 2022, wind and solar became the primary source of electricity in Chile, generating 27.5% of the total, while coal generation fell to 26.5%. This marks the first time in history that wind and solar have overtaken coal over a full 12-month period.
• Chile's wind and solar electricity generation grew rapidly from 9 TWh (12%) in 2018 to 18 TWh (22%) in 2021. In 2016, wind and solar accounted for only 6.6% of generation, while coal accounted for 43.6%.
• Since 2016, wind and solar have entirely met the increase in electricity demand. From 2016 to 2021, electricity demand rose by 11% (8 TWh), while wind and solar generation increased by 13 TWh, resulting in a 6% decrease in annual power sector emissions.
• The Chilean Government has a plan to phase out coal generation by 2040 and targets a 100% zero emissions power grid by 2050. The report notes that as an OECD country, the International Energy Agency’s Net Zero by 2050 Roadmap suggests a coal phase-out by 2030 and a zero-emissions grid by 2035.

APA

Bruce-Lockhart, C., & Fulghum, N. (2022). Wind and solar overtake coal in Chile. Ember. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/10/Ember-Report-English-Wind-and-solar-overtake-coal-in-Chile.pdf

Chicago

Bruce-Lockhart, Chelsea, and Nicolas Fulghum. Wind and solar overtake coal in Chile. Ember, 2022. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/10/Ember-Report-English-Wind-and-solar-overtake-coal-in-Chile.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bruce-Lockhart |first1=Chelsea |last2=Fulghum |first2=Nicolas |title=Wind and solar overtake coal in Chile |publisher=Ember |date=25 October 2022 |url=https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/10/Ember-Report-English-Wind-and-solar-overtake-coal-in-Chile.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{brucelockhart2022wind, author = {Bruce-Lockhart, Chelsea and Fulghum, Nicolas}, title = {{Wind and solar overtake coal in Chile}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2022}, month = oct, url = {https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/10/Ember-Report-English-Wind-and-solar-overtake-coal-in-Chile.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }