WORLD WIND ENERGY NET

GWEC increases its international membership base to include energy giant Iberdrola and many prominent wind energy associations from around the world.
Brussels, 30 June 2006. The membership of the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) has increased substantially in the first half of 2006 to over sixty members. These include wind energy associations from around the world as well as the major turbine manufacturers, developers and utilities. On the corporate side, Iberdrola recently joined the Council, bringing with it the experience and weight of one of the biggest utilities active in renewable energies around the world.

"GWEC, as the global forum for the promotion of wind power generation, is the place to be for a utility company with an environmental consciousness and a global outlook, such as Iberdrola. We believe that wind energy is to be the main driving force behind the development of clean energy sources worldwide, and we bet on it. Being members of the GWEC allows us to continue pushing forward and looking into the future of energy", said Xabier Viteri, Director for Renewable Energies at Iberdrola.

The environmental strategy of Iberdrola Renewable Energies dates back to 2000, when the company, in a pioneer bet, started promoting renewable energies at a massive scale. This action was taken very much against the dominant trend of many other utilities. As a result, Iberdrola now enjoys a leadership position in the renewable energy sector, operating more than 4.000 MW of renewable power today. By 2011, the company plans to increase this figure to 10,000 MW. Iberdrola’s main focus for growth is in Europe, the US, Asia and Latin America. "Within one year of its inception, GWEC has established itself as the authoritative voice for the global wind industry. GWEC’s association members alone operate in over forty countries, representing 99% of the world’s 59 GW of installed wind power capacity," said GWEC’s Chairman Arthouros Zervos. "Iberdrola is one of the world’s biggest wind farm owners and its support greatly complements GWEC’s existing membership."