Spain achieved an incredible milestone recently by powering its entire country solely with renewable energy for a remarkable nine-hour period. From 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on a Tuesday, wind, solar, and water energy were the sole sources of electricity for mainland Spain, marking a significant step in their commitment to clean energy.
The European country is among the leading ones driving the global transition toward renewable energy and, according to El Pais, the combined power generated from wind, sun, and water successfully met the energy demand of mainland Spain during that specific timeframe.
In an interview with El Pais, Natalia Fabra (an economics professor at Carlos III University in Madrid) emphasized the significance of this development, stating: “What is relevant is that this is not something temporary but on its way to becoming a permanent change, both due to the decrease in energy demand and, above all, the increase in solar power generation,”.
Renewable energy is becoming more popular around the world. (Image: “Solar panels” by OregonDOT)
The increasing adoption of renewable energy
Renewable energy has been experiencing remarkable growth in recent years, accounting for approximately one-third of global electricity generation, as reported by Scientific American — this share continues to rise, highlighting the increasing adoption of renewable energy solutions worldwide.
The shift to green energy not only helps combat the climate crisis by reducing emissions but also proves to be economically advantageous, leading to cost savings. El Pais highlighted the positive impact of solar panels in Spain, as they inject energy into the grid system while reducing the dependence on other energy sources when the sun is shining.
While not every oil and gas company has embraced renewable energy, some are already reaping the benefits of transitioning to cleaner sources. Danish company Ørsted serves as an excellent example, as it gradually shifted from fossil fuels to green energy over the past two decades (and reported billions in profit). Insider revealed that Ørsted, with a net profit of $2 billion last year, currently generates 90% of its energy from renewable resources.
The US is going green
The United States is also making significant progress in adopting green energy; President Joe Biden’s administration recently approved a multibillion-dollar transmission line that will transmit wind energy from New Mexico to cities along the West Coast, according to the Associated Press.
While these advancements in green energy, similar to Spain’s achievement, do not eliminate the need for oil and gas entirely, they indeed represent a substantial step towards reducing reliance on fossil fuels and mitigating carbon emissions.
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