Increasing the share of market

Ballarat Courier
Thursday 26/7/2007 Page: 4

WIND farms will comprise a growing share of Victoria's energy supply over the next decade, according to VENCorp. VENCorp, the Victorian Government body which helps plan electricity and gas supplies for the state, said the installed wind energy capacity in Victoria was expected to be 1238 megawatts in 2016-2017. The existing installed capacity of the state's major wind farms according to VENCorp is 133.6 megawatts.

VENCorp estimated that during times of peak summer power demand, wind farms would deliver 23 per cent of their installed generating capacity. In 2007-2008 VENCorp has forecast for wind energy to contribute 88 megawatts during peak summer maximum demand times. with that figure growing to 285 megawatts in 2009-2010. According to VENCorp's 2006 electricity annual planning report, the spike in power demands in summer was "due to the increasing penetration of air-conditioners and warmer weather conditions in recent years, summer daily energy continues to grow faster than daily winter energy".

The Victorian Government's renewable energy strategies will have a major impact on annual energy forecasts. The Victorian Government has set a target to meet 10 per cent of Victoria's annual electricity consumption by renewable energy in 2010," the report said. "Investments in renewable energy, in particular wind generation, are projected to grow strongly in the next five years to 2010-11, but slow down thereafter."