Spain is one of the leading nations that have implemented several wind power plants to save the earth from global warming caused by to the use of fossil fuels in generating electricity. Wind power, or power derived by converting wind energy into a useful form, such as electricity, has captured the imagination of the environmentally-conscious because it is a form of renewable energy that utilizes local resources and reduces greenhouse-gas emissions. Spain ranks third in the world for overall installed power, only behind Germany, which occupies second place, and the United States which is the worldwide leader.

In fact, wind supplied 10% of all Spanish electricity in 2007. On one record day, March 4, 2008, gusts raging across the country provided 28% of the country’s total electricity. On April 18, 2008 an all time peak was witnessed, with Spanish wind power providing 32% of the country’s power requirement. Spanish wind power industry currently enjoys a 30% annual growth rate. The country is aiming to triple the amount of energy it derives from renewable sources by 2020. Rapid expansion is possible due to encouraging government decrees. Spanish companies are required to purchase any Spanish wind power produced, and wind-farm operators can choose to receive a set price or sell their power on the market at reigning prices.

The Spanish wind power utility Iberdrola is the largest wind-power operator in the world, supplying more than 7,700 megawatts of power in nineteen countries. Endesa, another electric company and major wind-farm operator in Spain, built some of the earliest wind farms in the Canary Islands and in the region of Catalonia and Galicia. Another large wind-farm operator within Spain is Acciona, which is also one the top ten turbine manufacturers in the world. The largest turbine manufacturer in Spain, and the second largest in the world, remains Gamesa. 500 Spanish companies now work in the wind-power sector, most providing services and equipment not only in Spain but around the world.

Three factors will determine the future course of Spanish wind power development: the capability of the wind farms to hold all the electricity harnessed by wind power, the cost of harnessing wind energy, and the environmental hazards of building more and more wind farms. Besides, a control center needs to be created to oversee all the Spanish wind farms. In July, the Spanish government approved the construction of offshore wind parks along the nation's coastline. But bird lovers, fishermen, and tourism officials have opposed the move on the grounds that they will wreak havoc on birds’ migratory patterns, obstruct navigation channels, and spoil the view along the coastline.