Tiny Spanish Island Nears Its Goal: 100 Percent Renewable Energy

[grahamhgreen]

http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2014/09/17/349223674/tiny-spanish-island-nears-its-goal-100-percent-renewable-energy

The plant consists of five big industrial windmills and two lakes. On windy days — and there are plenty — the windmills harness the Canary Islands' Atlantic gusts. When production exceeds demand, such as at night, excess energy is used to pump water from a sea-level lake up into a natural volcanic crater half a mile uphill.

When the wind dies down, the water is released down through a pipe connecting the two lakes. On its way, it passes through turbines, which generate hydro-power.

[lunatica]

1. If the rest of us would do the same that island might remain above water

Good for them.

[Jack Rabbit]

2. ALEC is crafting legislation requiring the US to nuke it

!!

[TRoN33]

4. If President is a Republican, he'd be tempted to sign that bill but...

He would've known better to avoid being scorned by Americans and rest of the world.

[Jack Rabbit]

7. If the President were a Republican, he'd do as the Koch brothers say

The Canary Islands would be uninhabitable for millennia to come.

[TRoN33]

8. I wish I could find that link about the article I remember read a months back...

Actually, climate scientists said that there are a good chance if atomic bomb explode anywhere in the world today, it will accelerate the climate change in paradigm leap never seen since the event of mass extinction of dinosaurs.

Nobody, especially our own government despite its denial of climate change occurring, would ever dare to use atomic bomb except for terrorists and ALEC's warmongers.

[cstanleytech]

3. Any risk of the salt water contaminating the fresh water supply on the island? nt

[renegade000]

5. I think there are two freshwater lakes.

One at elevation and one at sea level, and they use the excess energy to pump from the lower one to the higher one. It's a pretty clever and simple energy-storage strategy.

[cstanleytech]

6. Whew. For a moment I was translating it in my head as them pumping saltwater

to the crate lol

[jwirr]

9. Brilliant.