Spain has emerged as one of Europe’s leaders when it comes to using renewable energy. To demonstrate that leadership, the Spanish government set a goal of harnessing wind and hydropower for all the electricity that El Hierro in the Canary Islands needs.  That would make El Hierro the first island worldwide to get 100 percent of its energy from renewable sources, and reduce annual carbon-dioxide emissions by about 20,000 tons. The ambitious construction project has been co-funded by the European Union. One innovation of the project will be using surplus wind power to pump water into a dormant volcano crater.