Spanish Wind Power Tops 50% of Electricity Demand

The Spanish wind power industry broke a record on Sunday morning, when turbines nationwide met 53% of the nation’s demand for electricity with production of around 10,170 megawatts (MW), according to La Asociacion Empresarial Eolica (AEE), the Spanish wind industry alliance.

The wind production from 3 a.m. until 8:30 a.m. covered over 50% of the demand that ranged between 21,700 MW and 19,700 MW.

The previous record, set just a week ago was 45.1% of demand.

Furthermore, in the first nine days of November, wind energy was the primary generation technology of the Spanish electrical grid, reaching 1,770,486 MWh, ahead of the combined cycle with 1,369,955 MWh and the nuclear power with 1,223,350 MWh.

Later on Sunday, at 2:30 p.m., simultaneous production levels topped out at 11,546 MW–343 MW higher than the previous record achieved on March 5.

In 2008 wind power met 11.5% of Spain’s electricity demand.

In Related News…

Last month, Amory Lovins, chairman and chief scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute, published a paper addressing four "myths" that he says are repeated time and again to support investments in nuclear power over renewable energy. Among these is the notion that "variable renewable sources of electricity (windpower and photovoltaics) can provide little or no reliable electricity because they are not ‘baseload’–able to run all the time."

Link to the paper below.