Latin America Could Double Its Onshore Wind Capacity by 2035
Latin American countries are expanding wind energy capacity quickly, with installed onshore capacity above 44.7 GW in 2022 and projections showing substantial growth through the 2030s. Reports from GWEC and Wood Mackenzie foresee onshore wind in the region could exceed 120 GW by 2035 and South American capacity reaching about 83 GW by 2034, though grid and demand constraints may slow deployment in some markets.
Why It Matters
If realized, this scale-up would materially change the region's power mix and attract large private investment, but achieving it depends on overcoming transmission bottlenecks, permitting issues and competition from other renewables highlighted by industry analysts.
Key Facts
- Installed capacity (2022): 44.7 GW (Latin America total)
- GWEC forecast: Latin America could surpass 120 GW of onshore wind by 2035 and install its first offshore wind capacity
- Wood Mackenzie forecast: South American wind capacity to reach 83 GW by 2034 with a 6.5% annual growth rate (July 2025 report)
- Brazil onshore capacity: About 35 GW in operation; fifth-largest worldwide
- Mexico current capacity: Over 8.1 GW across 76 wind farms in 16 states
Countries across Latin America have been rapidly enlarging their wind-power fleets, driven by goals to diversify electricity generation and improve energy security. Industry tallies put the region’s installed wind capacity at more than 44.7 GW in 2022. Two recent industry studies project a continuation of that expansion: the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) has said Latin America could more than double its onshore wind capacity by 2035, topping 120 GW and adding the first offshore projects, while Wood Mackenzie estimated South American wind capacity could reach about 83 GW by 2034, growing at roughly 6.5% annually.
Brazil and Mexico are the leading markets. Brazil hosts roughly 35 GW of commercial onshore wind capacity — making it one of the world’s largest national markets — with around 90% of turbines concentrated in the northeast where winds are strongest year-round. International developers are active there; for example, Statkraft’s Ventos de Santa Eugênia complex in Bahia comprises 14 wind farms and 91 turbines, and the company is adding a 162 MW solar component to create a hybrid project. In Mexico, more than 8.1 GW is operational across 76 farms in 16 states, supporting about 12.1 million households and employing roughly 10,000 people. Mexican authorities and industry bodies estimate $4–$5 billion of wind investment by 2030 and foresee continued large-scale investment in green generation and storage through 2035.
Other nations are also advancing projects and grid links to absorb more wind power. Argentina has nearly 4.6 GW of wind capacity and has drawn International Finance Corporation support for the Olavarria Wind Farm plus transmission upgrades on the Bahía Blanca-Abasto corridor; that program includes 29 Vestas turbines totaling 185.6 MW and a privately financed 25 km transmission connection. Proposals and incentive schemes across the region are intended to attract private capital and enable public-private partnerships for both generation and transmission.
Industry analysts caution that infrastructure and market issues could limit near-term growth. Wood Mackenzie researchers point to transmission constraints, permitting bottlenecks and intense competition from solar as headwinds that could slow additions in some countries such as Brazil and Chile where recent renewables booms have produced local oversupply. Achieving the larger regional forecasts will require rapid grid upgrades, expanded demand or storage, and smoother permitting to connect planned projects to national systems.
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