Though irresolute decisions cast a bleak shadow over the impending climate change summit, Spain, by producing over half its national power demand by wind, has single-handedly sparked renewable energy joy amid the gloom.

Although climate change talks may have collapsed over the weekend as ministers failed to agree on a financial package for the Copenhagen summit next month, it is not stopping Spain from celebrating their own Wind Energy Day today. And considering the country smashed its way into the renewable energy record books on Sunday by supplying 53 percent of the total nationwide electricity requirements by wind energy, they have a lot to celebrate.

Thanks to rigorous winds ripping their way across the lands, a record 11,546 megawatts of wind power was registered in Spain on November 9. For the first time ever, the electricity generated from Spain’s vast amount of wind farms surpassed the power produced by the country’s electricity grid, a milestone cited as a huge triumph in the renewable energy industry.

Not only did the achievement quiet the pessimists who just five years ago said Spain would be hard pushed to generate 14 percent of its electricity demand from wind power, the country now looks on target to produce almost four times as much wind power than this weekend’s record. Jose Donoso, Chairman of the Spanish Eolic Business Association, told the El Pais newspaper that he hopes wind power production will continue to rise and reach 40,000 megawatts in 2020.

Luis Atienza, Chairman of Red Electrica de Espana, was equally excited about the record-breaking achievements.

“No other country the same size as us has managed to generate over 50 percent of its electricity requirements using renewable energy for so long,” Atienza told El Pais, saying the country deserves admiration and is right to celebrate its achievement.

via Spain celebrates Wind Energy Day, with good reason – RT Top Stories.