Iberdrola’s Spanish wind farms accounted for 2,597 M kWh, or 48.1% of the total, while US facilities accounted for 1,731 million kWh, or 32.1%. UK wind farms produced 466 million kWh (8.6%) while the remaining 431 million kWh or 8% was produced elsewhere.

Iberdrola’s mini-hydro power stations generated 172 million kWh of power in the first quarter, representing 3.2% of the total.

The company installed 323 megawatts (MW) during the first three months of the year, and has increased its total capacity by 27.3% to 9,624 MW compared to the 1st quarter of 2008. Of the total, 9,282 MW corresponds to wind farms, consolidating Iberdrola’s position as the world’s biggest wind power producer.

The biggest increase in capacity in the first quarter came from the US, where Iberdrola installed 155 MW at the Farmer’s City, Penascal 1, Locust Ridge 2 and Dry Lake facilities, bringing the total in the country to 3,031 MW.

Iberdola said its total wind power capacity in Spain now stands at 4,959 MW, with the northern regions of Castilla-La Mancha and Castilla-León accounting for 1,929 MW and 1,052 MW, respectively. In the first three months, it installed new capacity at the Altamira, Cerro de la Higuera, Cortijo de la Linera, amd Radona 1 and 2 facilities.

In the UK, Iberdrola increased capacity by 39 MW to 704 MW, installing new turbines at the 269 MW Whitelee wind farm.

The company also opened its first wind farm – the 50 MW Ksigmand facility - in Hungary and the 80 MW La Ventosa wind farm in Mexico.

Iberdrola had a project pipeline of 55,117 MW at the end of 2008, the world’s largest. Of the total 41% of projects are in the US, 24.6% in Spain, 9.6% in the UK, and 24.7% elsewhere.