“This guy six years ago was already way ahead of where the U.S.
His company, Iberdrola, is now poised, with a Danish partner, to begin constructing the first large-scale offshore wind farm in the United States, in waters off Massachusetts.
Iberdrola was primarily a Spanish electric company in 2001 when Mr. Galán became chief executive.
Many industrial giants vowed to fight laws to tighten emissions, but Mr. Galán was inspired.
If a country of such great technological prowess still needed wooden poles to transport its electricity, he figured, there was a lot of room for a company like Iberdrola.
Electricity is becoming central to cars and trucks as well as home heating, so the grid systems necessary for delivering the electrons to homes will require major upgrades.
The field is likely to become more competitive as oil giants, especially in Europe, pour billions of dollars into renewables to help reduce the overall carbon content of their products.
Besides, Ms. Becker said, Iberdrola is ordering so many wind turbines and solar panels that its size can give it a nearly 20 percent cost edge over smaller rivals.
These days, Mr. Galán’s position atop Iberdrola seems as strong as ever.
Mr. Pérez’s construction company, ACS, acquired a 10 percent stake of Iberdrola in 2006, a move initially welcomed by Iberdrola as a possible Spanish ally against a takeover bid.
Lately, the company has been entangled in a courtroom scandal involving a former police inspector whose security firm was hired by Iberdrola and many others.