Spanish power firm Iberdrola, the world's top wind energy company by installed capacity, opened the windfarm at Maranchon - which made its fortune last century in the mule trade - in 2006 after ruling that there would be no major risk for the environment. In March it became the countrys main source of electricity, accounting for 21 percent of demand and providing the equivalent of all Portugal's power needs. Wind power has already overtaken nuclear energy. The country, whose best known novel "Don Quixote" tells the tale of a man who fights windmills he imagines to be giants, is now dotted with giant wind turbines as power firms - encouraged by government subsidies - take advantage of favourable weather conditions and an abundance of wide open areas. The windfarm located about 150 kilometres (90 miles) northeast of Madrid is the second largest in Spain, which has emerged as a world leader in renewable energy, especially wind power. A constant hum can be heard in the nearby town of Maranchon as the blades turn on the windmills, perched as high as a 23-storey tower block, casting shadows on the surrounding plain.
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