Governments world-wide are scrambling to find safe and efficient forms of alternative energy to combat global warming, rising fuel prices, and other ecological concerns. In this global race, Spain and Portugal are emerging as the surprising front runners – and not everyone is happy about it.
According to a recent article by Gabrielle Pickard, Spain is at the forefront in solar energy techniques, and is ahead of other countries in implementing concentrated solar power (CSP) technology. By the year 2015, Spain is expected to generate more than 2GW of electricity with more than 50 new CPS stations.
Portugal is also a leader in the hunt for clean power and ranks as one of the top five traiblazers in the world in developing alternative energy sources. Portugal’s plan for taming global warming comes in the form of a sea snake, which is the world’s first commercial-scale wave power station. At peak output, the wave machine will generate enough electricity for the annual needs of about 1,500 family homes in Portugal.
While this seems like great news, not everyone is enthusiastic about it. According to Doug Parr, Greenpeace UK’s chief scientist, the fact that Portugal is taking advantage of technology invented in Britain should cause alarm within the British government.
“Wave technology invented in Britain is powering Portuguese homes and making money for Portuguese suppliers,” Parr explains, “because our government has consistently neglected the renewable industry.”
Read Pickard’s article at: http://www.russiatoday.com/Top_News/2009-04-08/Race_for_renewable_energy_heats_up.html
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