Wind part of solution to Australia's energy needs

The Ballarat Courier, Page: 21
Friday, 2 June 2006

THE energy debate in Australia will continue to take centre stage as Australia's energy requirements skyrocket at a level higher, per capita, than any other developed nation. Pacific Hydro, one of Australia's leading renewable energy developers, says the debate should not be centring on which source of energy we should be switching to but what combination of energy we will need to provide our energy needs into the future. It believes Australia is in a unique position to take advantage of its incredible wind resources and wind energy has the ability to provide up to 20 per cent of Australia's energy resources. Currently, wind energy provides about 1 per cent of our energy needs.

While there is no suggestion that wind energy should be our only source of energy, it can certainly form part of the solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support the country's growing energy needs. Love it or hate it, wind energy does not produce greenhouse gases and can help us to protect our environment. The myths about noise and impact on birdlife continue to be disproved - you have only to visit a wind farm to see for yourself. Pacific Hydro is one of Australia's leading renewable energy developers.

Not only working across western Victoria, Pacific Hydro has operations in the Philippines, Chile, Fiji and North America as well as other parts of Australia. While the company's origins are in run-of-river hydro, in recent years it has expanded into wind resources as well. As drought becomes a fact of life for many rural communities, wind farms have the added benefit of assisting to drought-proof properties. Challicum Hills wind farm near Ararat has been operating for about three years and enjoys overwhelming support from the local community.

The company's values are represented in its operations, which aim to have a minimal impact on the environment and it has also demonstrated its commitment to the communities in which it works, through a newly established community grants scheme known as the Sustainable Communities Fund. Recently the company provided over $40,000 in grants to community groups in and around Ararat in the first round of payments. Pacific Hydro executive manager corporate affairs and marketing, Andrew Richards said: "Our wind farms already provide significant environmental benefits via the production of clean energy so our aim for the Sustainable Communities Fund is to promote positive, longterm social and community-based outcomes."