Wind power becomes Spain's leading electricity source in March

Mar 30, 2011 - energycentral.com

Wind energy became Spain's leading source of electricity for the first time in March, surpassing the contribution from nuclear energy, according to figures released Thursday by Red Electrica de España, Spain's power-generating authority.

Wind farm output, which covered 21 percent of total electricity demand, climbed to a new monthly record in March of 4,738 gigawatt-hours, up 5 percent from March 2010. Wind power also topped hydro energy as a source of electricity to become Spain's leading renewable energy source.

In total, renewable energy sources covered 42.2 percent of Spanish electricity demand in March, down from 48.5 percent in 2010 due to much higher hydroelectric power production last year.

The contribution of renewable energy sources meant that 57.9 percent Spain's electricity was generated with non-carbon-emitting technologies.

Spain's Industry Ministry said this week that "clean" energies - mainly wind and hydroelectric power - were Spain's leading source of electricity in 2010 and accounted for 13.2 percent of final energy consumption (energy supplied to the final consumer for all energy uses) last year, up from 12.3 percent in 2009. EFE

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