During my year on El Hierro, I will be researching the sustainable energy project on the island. El Hierro is proud to be the first island to use alternative energy to power itself. Since it is so small and far away from mainland Spain, it was never fully connected to the Spanish grid. Up until 1970, herreños only had a few hours of electricity after sunset, from dusk to midnight. Today, El Hierro is famed for its creative sustainable energy plant that combines wind energy with hydroelectric; when the wind is insufficient, water is pumped up a volcano and the community is powered by the current running back down the other side.

El Hierro is a UNESCO biosphere and is famous for a large endangered iguana that is being brought back from the brink of extinction. I will be looking into the history of this project, focusing on funding sources, community viewpoints, and best practices. If you are interested in learning the new words, ideas, and history that I learn over this year, follow this page!