Esteban Larraín

Chilean energy minister driving Latin America's renewable energy revolution

Esteban Larraín Fernández, Chile's Energy Minister from 2014-2018, spearheaded policies that transformed his country into a renewable energy leader. He engineered the world's first 100% renewable electricity grid commitment by 2040, achieved through innovative auctions that made Chile the global leader in solar energy costs. Under his leadership, renewable energy investment surged from $2 billion to $20 billion annually, creating 120,000 jobs in solar and wind sectors. The 2017 Energy Agenda established storage mandates and grid modernization plans that enabled 40% renewable penetration by 2020. Larraín's cross-border interconnection projects with Argentina and Peru created a regional energy market, reducing fossil fuel dependency. His 2018 UN speech "Decarbonizing without Delay" inspired similar policies in Colombia and Peru. The International Energy Agency cited Chile's 80% reduction in solar costs under his tenure as a global benchmark. Post-government, he founded Soluciones Energéticas, accelerating microgrid projects for indigenous communities lacking electricity access. His work was critical in Chile achieving 35% renewable energy use by 2022, outpacing most OECD nations.