Spanish Wind Farms Fulfill More Than HALF of Demand
Fri. 13 2009 | Matthew Barker-Benfield
Strong winds off the Iberian peninsula blew Spanish wind-energy production to new heights, achieving a record 53% demand-fulfillment last Sunday. This is about the same output as 11 nuclear power plants; take that critics, who said Spanish wind-farms could never get past 14%. Best of all, the clean energy bonanza doesn’t stop there! Read on for more:
Wind-farms put more energy into the grid than could be used, so overflowed power was being diverted pumping water into dam reservoirs for future use, essentially charging the hydroelectric batteries. Experts estimate that 25% of the nation’s energy use in 2009 will come from renewables, including wind, hydroelectric, and solar. José Donoso, head of the Spanish Wind Energy Association, has plans for increasing the share of wind energy on the grid: ”We think that we can keep growing and go from the present 17GW megawatts to reach 40GW in 2020,” he told El País newspaper. What an inspiration for countries all over the world — an industrialized nation generating 1/4 of its energy from renewable sources! Perhaps if Obama follows through on his plan for a revamped national energy grid, we can start efficiently distributing all the solar and wind energy available in remote areas of the country to where its needed most.
I am almost embarrassed to be an American and read where SPAIN is actually doing wind power as we all must including USA and China.
US Legislature folks, ASK yourself HOW does SPAIN do this and USA does NOT “??”? Sometimes, we the USA, are the biggest bunch of IDIOTS ever assembled!! Lets HOPE Obama can announce with China some new Wind Power guidelines!