Chile now gets 9.4% of its primary energy from solar, the highest share of any country

the gist

Chile produced 9.4% of its primary energy from solar in 2023, more than any other country, and solar supplied about 20% of its electricity. The Atacama Desert, one of the sunniest places on Earth, gives the country exceptional sunlight, and Chile has built large solar farms there. Primary energy counts the raw energy in each source before conversion, so this share compares solar fairly with coal, gas and oil. The result shows how a country with few fossil fuels of its own can use its climate to cut reliance on imports.

how it works

Solar panels turn sunlight directly into electricity, and the Atacama region has very little cloud cover, so output stays high for much of the year. Statistical reviews measure primary energy by the energy content of each source before it is converted into electricity, which lets solar be compared with fossil fuels on the same basis.

so what

Solar is now the cheapest new source of electricity in many places, and Chile shows what happens when a sunny, mostly flat, fast-growing grid commits to it. Its experience is a model for other arid countries weighing how fast to switch away from imported fuel.

more on this

background

Solar power in Chile is an increasingly important source of energy. Total installed photovoltaic (PV) capacity in Chile reached 11.05 GW in 2023. In 2025, solar energy generated 19.92 TWh of electricity in Chile, accounting for 25.1% of total national electricity grid generation, compared to less than 0.1% in 2013.

In October 2015 Chile's Ministry of Energy announced its "Roadmap to 2050: A Sustainable and Inclusive Strategy", which planned for 19% of the country's electricity to be from solar energy, 23% wind power, and 29% hydroelectric power.

In November 2024, Chile's solar power generation capacity was projected to quadruple until 2060, in order to help decarbonize Chile's electricity generation. Energy storage is expected to play a key role by storing a excess electricity generated during the day and releasing it at night. Due to its high solar potential, solar power developments will likely grow most in the north. Solar generation is expected to contribute 46% of Chile's electricity in 2060.

From Wikipedia: Solar power in Chile (CC BY-SA 4.0) ↗ · text CC BY-SA 4.0

see

ENEL, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Solargis, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Our World in Data · CC BY 4.0

Image: Our World in Data

source: Our World in Data ↗

politics

Trump and Netanyahu reportedly clash over whether to resume military action against Iran

the gist

Israeli reports also say the cabinet directed the military to prepare for a possible new attack on Iran.

so what

The United States and Israel have been closely aligned on Iran's nuclear programme and regional threats, so open disagreement between their leaders over military strategy is unusual and closely watched. Whether to resume strikes is a decision with consequences for shipping, oil markets and the wider Middle East.

fun fact

Benjamin Netanyahu has served as Prime Minister of Israel for more years in total than any other person.

read it onThe Times of India The Tribune

search onBBCNYTCNNReutersAPAl Jazeera

Data: GDELT Project

Illustrative photo · Israel Belkind and Fanny Abramovitch (original) “The Provis…, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

10:49

supplementary video · Epimetheus on YouTube ↗

world cultures & travelWikivoyageclassic9th–15th century · Siem Reap, Cambodia

Angkor was the largest pre-industrial city on Earth, covering about 3,000 square kilometres

the gist

Angkor, near Siem Reap in northern Cambodia, was the capital of the Khmer Empire, which ruled much of mainland Southeast Asia between roughly the 9th and 15th centuries. At its height the city spread across about 3,000 square kilometres, making it the largest pre-industrial city on Earth by area. Its growth depended on water: huge reservoirs called barays, along with canals and embankments, stored monsoon rain and carried it to rice fields. That system let farmers harvest more than once a year and fed a very large population through the dry season. The temple complex of Angkor Wat, built in the early 12th century, is the best-known monument and still stands at the heart of the park.

how it works

The Khmer kings built enormous rectangular reservoirs that caught monsoon rain during the wet season. Earthen dykes and canals moved that water into rice paddies, so farmers could grow crops across much of the year. The surplus food supported craftsmen, builders and the workforce that raised the temples.

so what

Angkor shows how a society without industrial machinery could build a city on a scale that rivals modern metropolises, using engineering and water management instead. Some historians link its decline to drought, flooding and shifts in its water systems, which makes it a long-running case study in how cities depend on managing water. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important archaeological landscapes in Southeast Asia.

fun fact

The outline of Angkor Wat appears on the national flag of Cambodia.