European Tribune - EREC EU policy conference

All in all, the most pressing issue for the E.U seems to be to prepare for a high renewable grid trough interconnections. The largest wind potential is in the north of Europe and will have cross borders without a hiccup. The new, proposed European regulator will attempt to do just that.

Spain is poorly connected to the European grid and so a link across the Pyrenees would appear to be a priority if wind-generated power mush "cross borders". However, the evidence seems to be this might not be necessary...

(h/t ChrisCook)

Recent data from two meteorologically unusual days in Spain - the world leader in the management of renewable energy supplies - shows this assertion is almost certainly false.

• During part of 8 November, Spain saw over 50% of its electricity come from turbines as an Atlantic depression swept over the country's wind parks. (They are so big that no one seems to call them `farms'.) Unlike similar times in November 2008, when Spanish turbines were disconnected because the grid had an excess of electricity, the system accepted and used all the wind power that was offered to it.
• A very different event in January of this year saw unexpectedly high winds shut down most of the country's turbines with little warning. The grid coped with this untoward incident as well. These two events show that a well run transmission system can cope with extreme and unexpected events even with a large fraction of power provided by wind.

Over the course of this year Spain will generate about 14% of its total electricity from wind and this number is likely to rise to the high twenties by 2020.

En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma