Renewable energy hits its stride as Spanish island becomes first to be totally green-powered

Green energy is booming. Renewables now produce 22 percent of the world's electricity, a number that will likely rise to 26 percent by 2020. The future is one that is less reliant on fossil fuels. But in some places, the future has already arrived. El Hierro, the smallest and least known of Spain's Canary Islands with some 10,000 residents, is becoming the one of the first places in the world to be fully energy self-sufficient. Without a connection to any outside electricity network, the island has a guaranteed supply of electricity generated by a combined system of both water and wind power. The result is a stable energy supply that drastically reduces pollution and completely eliminates the island's use of over 40,000 barrels of oil per year. Politicians and advocates on other islands around the world are taking notice and exploring the possibility of copying this example. Look for projects in Aruba, Hawaii, Samso (Denmark), Oki (Japan), and Indonesia, among other places.