Renewable energy is gaining major momentum in Spain. In April, the country set a new record with renewable energy accounting for 54 percent of the electricity generated in Spain. April’s figure just outpaced March’s record of 51.8 percent of electricity generated by renewables. And those numbers should continue to grow, as wind and solar development continues in the Mediterranean country.

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Spain’s electrical grid operator, Red Electrica De Espana (REE), reports that hydropower made up 25 percent of April’s overall electricity generation, wind power accounted for 22 percent, solar photovoltaic came in at 3.6 percent and solar thermal at 1.3 percent. If this current pattern holds, Spain may produce more electricity from renewables than it has in recent years. In 2006, renewable energy accounted for just 19% of the electricity generated in Spain. The percentage peaked in 2010 at 35 percent and kept steady around 32-33 percent in 2011 and 2012.

Spain is targeting wind power to supply 40 percent of the electricity consumption by 2020, and the country is looking to grow its solar photovoltaic potential. To that end, Extramadura in Western Spain, which gets 3,200 hours of sun a year, just announced a new 250 MW unsubsidized solar plant. Once built, the PV plant is projected to be the third largest in the world.

Via Clean Technica

Photos by Torresol Energy and Manfred Werner