New Record: Wind Powers 40% Of Spain

[ckaihatsu]

http://www.enn.com/energy/article/33594/print

From: , MetaEfficient, More from this Affiliate

Published March 26, 2008 09:52 AM

New Record: Wind Powers 40% Of Spain

Wind power is breaking new records in Spain, accounting for just over 40 percent of all electricity
consumed during a brief period last weekend. As heavy winds lashed Spain on Saturday evening wind
parks generated 9,862 megawatts of power which translated to 40.8 percent of total consumption.
Between Friday and Sunday wind power accounted for an average of 28 percent of all electricity
demand in Spain. Spain’s wind power generation equaled that of hydropower for the first time in 2007.
In July the government approved legislation that will allow offshore wind parks to be set up along the
nation’s vast coastline in an effort to boost the use of renewable energy sources. While more expensive
than land-based wind farms, offshore wind parks can take advantage of stronger, steadier coastal
breezes.
Spain, which along with Germany and Denmark, is among the three biggest producers of wind power
in the 27-nation European Union, is aiming to triple the amount of energy it derives from renewable
sources by 2020.

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[MarxSchmarx]

What is interesting about this is it highlights two directions taken in the EU towards moving on from fossil fuels - wind power (Denmark, Spain) and nuclear power (UK, France). Why is a coordinated EU wide policy on alternative energy so difficult?

[piet11111]

What is interesting about this is it highlights two directions taken in the EU towards moving on from fossil fuels - wind power (Denmark, Spain) and nuclear power (UK, France). Why is a coordinated EU wide policy on alternative energy so difficult?

because some types of alternative energy production don't work very well in some country's.

geothermal would work well for Iceland but not for say Belgium and wind would not work for say Switzerland but it would work for the Netherlands.

nuclear would work for everyone too bad those greens are irrationally opposed to it.

[Cult of Reason]

Um... piet1111, the UK has the greatest potential in Europe for offshore wind power, but is ashamedly slow in increasing its exploitation. The same probably applies to Northwestern France (especially Brittony).

Also, why would wind not work for Switzerland? There are many high places to put the windmills, surely?

[Fedorov]

I always thought those things could power little more than a taster (I'm exaggerating). Thats actually incredibly good news to hear. On the topic of Switzerland, it would be great for wind farms, mountains and plenty of wind. As for nuclear energy I plainly don't trust it, I've heard many stories about people living near them in the USSR. Hell, let them litter the landscape (wind turbines) if it replaces dependency on other resources.

[AGITprop]

I dream of the day I can live in a wind-turbine and have every flat surface imaginable covered in solar cells.:)

Seriously though, this is an amazing development. Excellent.

[Colonello Buendia]

this is very good news, I personally think solar wind and hydro electricity is more palatable than nuclear. this is mainly because nuclear energy has had problems in the past, mainly in the removal of waste and such. if we were to actually built a plant and manage to ensure that the waste would be dealt with effectively and cleanly then I have no problem with it.

[piet11111]

Um... piet1111, the UK has the greatest potential in Europe for offshore wind power, but is ashamedly slow in increasing its exploitation. The same probably applies to Northwestern France (especially Brittony).

Also, why would wind not work for Switzerland? There are many high places to put the windmills, surely?

i did not say the UK is unfit for windpower i just said that some forms are better for a certain country than others are.

and would putting windmills on mountains not require such amounts of money and resources (connecting it to the powergrid would be a major pain in the ass) that it becomes unpractical ?