We are constantly told by naysayers that renewables can’t scale and can’t get the job done for grid-scale power generation. There are indeed real challenges that are still to be met. The wind doesn’t blow 24/7 and the sun doesn’t shine at night. Grid-level storage is a problem that hasn’t yet been solved. All issues the advocates of dirty energy just love to overstate.
In that context it’s interesting to see data from Spain where, this month, wind generation outstripped both nuclear and coal fired electricity.
petter palander / CC BY 2.0
Wind generation apparently totaled 6.214 terawatt-hours and more than a quarter of Spain’s total power. This is according to the European Wind Energy Association and figures reported by Bloomberg.
“It added that the association said wind energy has accounted for more power than any other energy source in the three months ending Thursday, a first for any quarter.”
Spain has 23% of the EU’s total wind power capacity, second only to Germany (31%). The UK lies in 5th with a 7% share.
We can’t run a whole grid on renewables right now but to see a renewable as the single biggest energy source in a major European country has to be a very positive and encouraging sign.
