LISA DESAI:

Samso has become a symbol of what Denmark wants for all of its five-and-a-half million people.

It's first country to build massive offshore wind parks and has an ambitious plan to run 100 percent on renewable energy by 2050: no oil, coal, or gas for electricity, heat, or even transportation.

The plan was set in motion in Denmark's capital, Copenhagen, 40 years ago — not because of global warming, but because of the 1973 Arab oil embargo.

With 99 percent of its energy then coming from the Middle East, Denmark decided to pursue energy independence. Its thousands of miles of coastline are especially suitable for harnessing wind power, but one drawback is: the supply is not consistent.