Spain has emerged as one of Europe's leaders when it comes to using renewable energy. To demonstrate that leadership, the Spanish government set a goal of harnessing wind and hydropower for all the electricity that El Hierro in the Canary Islands needs. <br />That would make El Hierro the first island worldwide to get 100 percent of its energy from renewable sources, and reduce annual carbon-dioxide emissions by about 20,000 tons. <br /><br />The ambitious construction project has been co-funded by the European Union. One innovation of the project will be using surplus wind power to pump water into a dormant volcano crater.
