Environmental Leader

The duration was short, but the effects were real. Especially strong winds blew hard enough in Spain to allow wind power to generate 40 percent of the electricity needed to run the nation.

High winds blew through northwest Spain in early March, generating 11,180 MW in that region alone.

On average, Spain derives about 11.5 percent of its overall energy from wind turbines, according to this story.

When the high winds came through, the turbines were spinning at 69% of their maximum theoretical potential.

By 2010 Spain has set a goal of obtaining 30 percent of its electricity from renewable resources.

At 16,000 MW, Spain produces the third-most wind power in the world, behind the United States (25,000 MW) and Germany (24,000 MW).

With the lagging economy, some economists predict U.S. wind turbine additions to fall behind.