Energy target too modest

Border Watch
27/09/2007 Page: 5

THE MANAGER of the region's largest renewable energy producer has described the Federal Government's new clean energy target as too modest. The Clean Energy Target (CET), announced by the government on Sunday, introduced a nationwide target of 15pc production of renewable and low-emission energy by 2020, equating to 30,000 gigawatt hours of clean power. The clean energy technologies included in the target will include wind, solar, geothermal and carbon capture and storage.

Babcock and Brown Wind Partners chief executive officer Miles George, who runs the Lake Bonney Wind Farm, welcomed the target, but said it did not go far enough. "We think it's a good thing, it's a move in the right direction, but it's a very modest move in the right direction," he said. He said the policy may improve the current system of differing state policies. "It would aggregate what had been a series of state based schemes," he said. "But having said that, the only reason the states went that way was because the Federal Government wasn't doing anything." Mr George was critical of the 15pc target, which includes energy levels currently being produced by the states. "We think it should be at least 20 per cent," he said. "The 15pc announced by the government is not 15pc of new renewable energy." When stage two of the Lake Bonney Wind Farm is completed in the first half of next year, the combined output of the development is expected to be 239 megawatts per annum, 80Mw from stage one and 159Mw from stage two.

Mr George said a smaller third stage could be possible, as could further sites along the South East coastline, which would "become viable if there is a good Federal scheme in place". The Government policy has drawn criticism from environmental groups, such as The Greens, for the inclusion in the target of low-emission technologies such as carbon capture and storage, commonly known as clean coal. However, Mr George did not object to this and said although clean coal was a "good" technology, he did not see it being sustainable on a large scale in the long term.

The policy has also drawn criticism from within the government, with Federal Tourism Minister Fran Bailey claiming windfarms were unsuitable for Australia and were more appropriate in the northern hemisphere. Mr George refuted these claims. "Australia has got one of the best wind resources in the world," he said. "Our windfarms are up to twice as efficient as windfarms in Europe." He also dismissed Minister Bailey's claim of windfarms having high noise levels, which he said was "not the case".