Originally posted to Greenpeace UK.
On a windy night in September, whilst most people were sleeping, wind power reached a record of 64.2% of Spain’s electricity demand.
The vast majority of Spain’s power that night came not from fossil fuels but clean, renewable energy generated by wind turbines on the Spanish hills.
And what couldn’t be used in Spain wasn’t wasted.
Some was exported via giant cables linking Spain to the rest of Europe and some was used to pump water uphill so it could be allowed to flow back down later, when demand was higher.
Pumped storage and interconnectors are just two of the way Spain has found to make sure wind works.
And it wasn’t just one night.
During September Spanish tubines generated so much wind power that coal use in Spain crashed, reducing emissions from fossil fuels.
But Spain isn’t even the windiest country in Europe.
The UK could generate far more power from on and offshore wind than Spain does.
Last month we got our own record. On the 14 September wind accounted for 10% of electricity use.
We could do so much more.
If Spain can make a serious transition to renewables, which now generate almost a third of their electricity then why can’t the United States?
Join us in our energy revolution!
actually Spain is third in producing power from turbines …after the United States and Germany
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy_in_Spain
Wiki is not a valuable source for information. Anyone can go in and write their own thoughts on the matter but they are not always right. Just keep that in mind.
Pete, love your blog on the renewable energy and the information provided in spain.
I am an American living in the Philippines. I have a great story concerning renewable energy here in the Philippines and I will like to get the story out. Can you help…I can send you my case study for review to know what you think. act today and our grand kids may see the benefits, but by acting tomorrow, our great grand kids may see the benefits.
I can email to data to you for review…please respond to my email…
Thanks….Willie Evans
“This shows that while wind power will remain the largest source of RE generation (65%), it will represent less than a third of total premiums paid (30%).”
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2012/04/spain-imposes-temporary-halt-to-new-renewable-energy-co-generation-projects
Windpower provided 65% – of renewable energy resources.
There is a blatantly false graphic that links to your blog, which been published by Greenpeace USA and redistributed by Credo that links to your blog. It claims that 64% of Spain’s electricity demand was produced by wind.
I am quite disappointed in Greenpeace USA and Credo for doing this. I understand their desire and their strategy, but lying is not the way to move people.
The graphic generalizes where it needs enormously to be qualified: for one windy night in 2012, wind energy accounted for that amount of Spain’s electricity demand. But it was windy, and it was at night (daytime energy demand is much higher), and it was only one night.
And yet, last year Spain produced about 22 gigawatt hours from wind, which was about 16% of its average energy demand. That is wonderful!
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Thanks for highlighting the record wind power generation in Spain. Within a short span of time, wind energy has become as a pure and renewable source of energy. As a homeowner can generate and use wind energy simply by installing a wind turbine, the alternative energy will soon become popular in various parts of the world.