ATACAMA: Renewable Energy and Mining in the High Desert of Chile

By the time Jamey Stillings flew over the Atacama Desert’s stark landscape in a small Cessna, gyro-mounted camera in hand, he felt he already knew it intimately. For months, he had poured over satellite imagery to better understand the area’s geography. From the Chilean Coastal Range, which blocks nearly all ocean moisture from the interior, to the expansive Salar de Atacama and soaring volcanos of the Andes, the desert is distinctive. Unlike deserts of the southwestern United States—often veiled by creosote bush, piñon, and juniper—the Atacama reveals its geology with unabashed directness. No vegetation obscures its naked beauty. Over time, water and wind have shaped this land, and rain, though rare, often suggests itself as its dominant sculptor.

Upon this striking geoscape, humankind imposes its will. Immense open-pit mines account for nearly a third of the world’s copper production, and the brine in lithium mine evaporation ponds will eventually power our cars, computers, and smartphones. Vast solar and wind utility-scale energy projects generate electricity for Chilean industry, commerce, and culture. From an aerial perspective, humankind’s stewardship of this land reveals the unembellished evidence of our demands and desires.

The diverse geography of the Atacama Desert gives it a unique set of attributes, and Stillings was committed to documenting them with his distinct aerial aesthetic. In 2017 and 2022, he crisscrossed the Atacama Desert of Chile from Iquique to La Serena, photographing mines, renewable energy projects, and the dramatic landscapes of the region’s rugged and raw beauty.

Historically, electricity generated using imported coal and natural gas was transmitted to mines and population centers throughout the North. Yet, the Atacama has some of Earth’s highest solar and wind energy potentials. Since 2008, through government policy, private investment, and public pressure, Chile’s renewable energy development has become an example for other countries and mining operations worldwide. This trend accelerated as the price of solar and wind projects became competitive with fossil fuels for electricity production. Between 2008 and 2020, non-hydrological renewable energy capacity in Chile grew by 1900%. Most major mining operations have converted to 100% renewably sourced electricity for both economic and environmental reasons. There is no political downside to lowering the carbon footprint of mining operations. For Stillings, the growing dynamic between the mining industry and the rapidly developing renewable energy sector is a compelling subject.

In 2010, Stillings initiated his aerial photography project focused on renewable energy, which spanned four years and involved nineteen flights to document the construction of the 392MW Ivanpah Solar concentrated solar plant in the Mojave Desert of the United States. The New York Times Magazine was the first to publish an extended photo essay in June 2012. The work became a museum exhibition and an awardwinning book, The Evolution of Ivanpah Solar, published by renowned German photobook publisher Steidl in 2015. Over time, his work has grown to cover a wide range of solar and wind projects throughout the American West, Japan, Uruguay, and Chile. Changing Perspectives: Renewable Energy and the Shifting Human Landscape has become the name for this ever-growing body of work.

ATACAMA: Renewable Energy and Mining in the High Desert of Chile (Steidl, 2023), Stillings’ new book, was released in July. He will attend the Energy and Mines Toronto Summit this year to “listen, learn, build collaborative contacts and support for new project work” and sign copies of ATACAMA.

Stillings’ vision is to build and expand Changing Perspectives internationally over the coming decade. His keen interest in the nexus between mining and renewable energy continues, and he has his sights set on a new extensive project, Changing Perspectives: Renewable Energy in Australia.