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The country aims to be the world's cheapest producer of the alternative fuel
Tucked between fjords and islets on the blustery shoreline of the Magellan Strait, the tiny city of Punta Arenas sits at the tip of South America, just above the Antarctic Circle.
Wind tears at the flags on the façade of the regional governor's offices as locals traverse the main plaza, seeking refuge in the saloons and restaurants around the center of town.
Magallanes, Chile's southernmost region, whose capital is Punta Arenas, is sparsely populated and largely unspoiled. But this pristine swath of Patagonia could soon be the beating heart of a global transition toward renewable energy.
Chile, a country of 19.5 million people, is positioning itself at the forefront of this shift, and Patagonia's strong winds offer one of several tantalizing possibilities.
"Our country's conditions are favorable to continue leading the way in the development of renewable energies," says Diego Pardow, Chile's energy minister. "Our technical renewable potential is among the best in the world."
From fierce solar radiation in the Atacama Desert to the blustery plains and valleys of Patagonia, Chile's renewable potential is indeed vast. Strong ocean currents, geothermal energy, and hydroelectric power from the rivers rushing through the central and southern valleys are also being harnessed.
And added to that, almost half of the world's known lithium reserves-crucial for battery technology-sit under the salt flats in Chile's arid north. A series of shallow turquoise and blue pools sit on the surface, evaporating lithium-rich brine to be refined and exported.
As such, Chile has made some ambitious promises.
It has committed to carbon neutrality by 2050 and pledged to close or repurpose all of its 21 coal-fired power...