El Hierro Energy timeline.

Before Columbus sailed past El Hierro in 1492, the island was considered the most westerly point of land on Earth. When Ptolemy developed the idea of a prime meridian in the second century, he drew the first line through what we now call the Canary Islands.

Since 1996, El Hierro has worked steadily at becoming the first energy-independent island in the world that is powered only by renewable energy sources. Before the energy independence, they were using about 6,000 tons of diesel for fuel.

In 2000, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization named El Hierro a Biosphere Reserve, meaning it protects 60% of the island’s pristine territory.

In August 2014, the Spanish Minister gave the multinational oil company permission to drill three deep holes in the ocean near the Canary Islands. The Canary Islands is one of the largest marine areas in Europe and is among the most amazing areas on Earth for marine biodiversity.