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This is a story about Uzbekistan, and I am ashamed to say that when I first saw the headline, I had no idea where that country was. Through nearly two decades of education at some of the finest schools, I do not recall Uzbekistan being mentioned even once. I know our readers are all above average, but it occurred to me that I might not be the only one who was geographically challenged, so I went to Google Maps for enlightenment. Here is what I found:
Credit: Google Maps
While the United States is hell bent on forcing its fossil fuels down the throats of other nations, Uzbekistan is showing the way toward a renewable energy future. On December 5, 2025, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, president of the Republic of Uzbekistan, celebrated the start of construction for new energy capacities and infrastructure facilities.
The new generation, storage, and production facilities, along with other energy infrastructure projects, are part of an $11 billion investment strategy aimed at strengthening the county’s national energy grid. They include 16 solar, wind, thermal, and hydro power plans worth $3.3 billion with a capacity of 3.5 GW. According to EuroNews, the new facilities will be distributed across several regions of the country and represent a mix of public and private investment.
Once completed, the new generating facilities are expected to add a billion kWh of electricity to the electrical grid in Uzbekistan each year. In 2026, the amount of “green” energy produced in the country will reach 23 billion kWh — enough to supply all of Uzbekistan’s annual electricity needs. The switch to clean energy will help reduce the country’s consumption of methane by nearly 7 billion cubic meters and prevent 11 million tons of harmful emissions from being dumped into the atmosphere.
Among the projects being launched are 10 energy storage systems with a total capacity of 1,245 megawatts, which will supply 1.5 billion kWh of electricity to the grid during peak loads. 11 large substations and 420 kilometers of high-voltage networks are being commissioned, ensuring the stable operation of the energy system.
No Input From US
Did you notice the featured photo showing the flags behind the dignitaries at the ceremony? One was prominent by its absence. According to the Caspian Press, China is expected to supply more than $15 billion in direct investment in Uzbekistan, bringing the total value of joint projects between the two countries to nearly $90 billion — a result of China’s belt and road strategy.
Uzbekistan and China are currently working on more than 30 energy projects, with a combined capacity of nearly 10 GW and a value exceeding $9 billion. Additionally, 14 new energy projects worth almost $2 billion were launched recently.
President Mirziyoyev and Zhou Yuanlong, President of China Datang, discussed expanding photovoltaic plants, building new facilities, and boosting energy-storage capacity. The talks also covered workforce training, the creation of a research laboratory, and the introduction of renewable energy in agriculture and livestock sectors.
In his meeting with Xu Liu, head of China Energy Engineering Corporation, Mirziyoyev emphasized the importance of developing renewable energy sources and high-voltage transmission networks, as they continue their work on solar power stations and energy storage systems across Uzbekistan.
Meng Qinglin, chairman of Sinoma Energy, updated the president on the construction of a wind power plant and a local wind-turbine blade production factory. The discussions also touched on technological solutions for waste treatment in the chemical and construction industries, with a focus on accelerating ongoing projects.
President Mirziyoyev also met with Nan Yi, CEO of Universal Energy, to discuss speeding up the development of wind power plants across the country. Furthermore, he met Kang Hubiao, head of China General Technology, to review the operations of a new co-generation plant and explore opportunities for expanding the company’s investments in Uzbekistan.
Finally, President Mirziyoyev supported the plans of Miao Zechun, CEO of Poly Changda Engineering, to build a new energy storage system in 2026, further advancing the country’s renewable energy infrastructure. The meetings underscore the growing technological and energy partnership between Uzbekistan and China as both nations work together to promote sustainable development and energy independence.
Other Nations Support Uzbekistan’s Green Energy Goal
Lest you think it was all about China in Uzbekistan this week, here are some of the other officials in attendance: the energy ministers from the United Arab Emirates, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and Kyrgyzstan, as well as representatives of the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Asian Development Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and the Islamic Development Bank.
Corporate leaders from ACWA Power of Saudi Arabia, Aksa Enerji and Cengiz Enerji of Türkiye, Masdar from the UAE, China Energy, Datang, Sinoma, and Poly from China, EDF, Voltalia, and TotalEnergies from France, Siemens Energy from Germany, and Nebras Power from Qatar were on hand as well.
The president of Uzbekistan told the conference, “Given the rapid growth of the economy and the increasing needs of the population, we are implementing large scale reforms in the energy sector. In this area, we have defined two key goals. The first is to ensure reliable and uninterrupted energy supply to all industries and regions. The second is to achieve this primarily through modern, environmentally friendly, and renewable energy sources.”
Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power is one of the most active investors in the country. “Uzbekistan’s energy mix is becoming greener every year,” said Jon Zaidi, who leads the company’s efforts in the country. “This year alone we added more than 2,500 megawatts to the grid, and the Vision 2030 target of reaching 54% renewables is very important for us.”
France’s Voltalia recently signed an investment agreement for a 200 megawatt hybrid project combining wind generation and storage. According to deputy CEO Yoni Ammar, “We are also developing a 500 megawatt storage project called Turan, and expect construction to begin in 2026.”
Not everything in Uzbekistan’s future energy plans includes renewables. European companies are also supporting more conventional energy projects. Électricité de France (EDF) Central Asia said, “In Uzbekistan we are building two major gas fired power plants together with partners from Japan, Qatar and Germany, with the first turbine tests set to take place this week.”
Hydro is a significant part of the electricity road map. Next year will see the beginning of the Kambarata-1 hydropower project in cooperation with Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, which is intended to promote the efficient and joint use of the region’s hydroelectric potential. In 2025, 40 megawatts of small and micro hydropower plants were installed throughout the country. Next year, an additional 65 megawatts of small and micro hydropower plants will be added.
Together with Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan sees itself as a key component of a “green” corridor for electricity exports to Europe. It is positioning itself to have the energy resources needed to become a hub for data centers that will attract new business — like BYD — to the country.
Irreconcilable Differences
It doesn’t take much to see the difference between the bashing of renewables by the current US administration and their embrace by most of the rest of the world. The disconnect centers on dispatchability — the ability to send electrons to the grid when needed. The MAGAsphere insists that renewables are a scam because the sun doesn’t always shine and the wind doesn’t always blow. Therefore, it is unreliable.
They know nothing of energy storage technologies that have matured in the past five years or of demand response strategies that use the available supply of electricity more wisely, thereby lowering demand.
It should be noted that nations like Uzbekistan are lumped into the category of “shithole countries” and its citizens considered “garbage” by the president of the Unites States. While the US is thumping its chest about spending millions of dollars to blow small boats out of the water, China is busy doing business. Uzbekistan is the clearest example of which vision of the future is likely to prevail.
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