Wind power now Spain’s top source of electricity

Green Futures Magazine: Wind contributed the highest percentage of Spanish power supply last year in a "world first" for renewables.

Wind power became Spain's top source of electricity in 2013. A report from Spain's grid operator, Red Eléctrica de España (REE), claims a 12% rise on 2012 figures meant enough power was generated to supply 15.5 million Spanish homes – 90% of the country's total domestic use. 

An estimated 54,478 gigawatt hours of electricity, representing 20.9% of power demand, was produced last year, narrowly beating the 20.8% produced by the country's nuclear reactors. Annual generation was boosted by another record-breaking moment on 2 February, when 17,056 megawatts of instantaneous power was recorded. On the same day the all-time maximum for hourly energy was also exceeded, reaching 16,918MWh.

The figures represent a milestone for renewable energy, with Spain becoming "the first country in the world where wind energy was the technology that most contributed to the coverage of demand in a full year", according to the Spanish Wind Energy Association (AEE).

Please continue reading from Wind power now Spain's top source of electricity | Green Futures Magazine | shared via feedly mobile