Big players wake up to which way the wind blows

Australian Financial Review
26/09/2007 Page: 14

According to Australian Ethical Investments, Australia's wind energy sector is set to grow significantly, especially if more government incentives are forthcoming. The group has already invested in Australian wind energy projects about $4 million of the total $43 million it has placed in the sector globally. AMP Capital Investors' Sustainable Fund has also earmarked 2 per cent of its $2.2 billion for renewables - mostly for wind energy. AMP had originally made a small commitment to Pacific Hydro's wind farms in Victoria in 2000.

With companies like Babcock and Brown Wind and AGL set to aggressively expand their wind projects, such investments are expected to grow. NSW government-owned utility Country Energy, which has inked long-term sourcing deals with four big wind farms, is also helping boost take-up of wind energy. Meanwhile, experts at institutions like Murdoch University's Research Institute for Sustainable Energy and the University of Queensland agree that wind energy is a growth sector with a promising future.