Reuters reported that ten Greenpeace activists involved in a protest at a coal fired power station in 2007 have been acquitted of trespassing, criminal damage and other charges.

Greenpeace said utility Iberdrola, the operators of Pasaia power station had asked for prison sentences of 9 months and fines of EUR 18,000 for the activists who painted "Stop CO2" on the plant's chimney.

Iberdrola officials were not immediately available for comment recently acquittal. Although Spain has invested heavily in recent years to become a major producer of renewable energy, its emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are running well above an upper limit set under the Kyoto Protocol.

The Spanish government has recently angered environmentalists with plans to force utilities to burn home-produced coal in order to support domestic mining.

(Sourced from Reuters)