Western Advocate
Saturday 5/4/2008 Page: 1
A COMMUNITY forum will be held this month to kick start a process that could eventually lead to Bathurst producing enough clean electricity to power the city's households. Preliminary studies have earmarked the broad corridor of land stretching from Lithgow to Blayney as likely to contain several sites that would be suitable for the construction of a community-owned wind farm. The forum will investigate the possibility of local stakeholders forming a company or managing a co-operative that would raise the capital necessary to build and operate the farm. About 12 two-megawatt turbines, each with an all-up cost of nearly $5 million, would be needed to generate enough electricity to power Bathurst.
The project sounds optimistic, but the forum will be informed about several overseas success stories and the celebrated Hepburn community wind farm project in southern Victoria, where two turbines will generate enough electricity to power 2300 of 2500 local homes. That project, managed by a board of nine local directors, has local government approval and state government funding and construction is hoped to start next year. Of course, this clean power is not directly channelled into houses - it is fed into the state's grid along with coal fired and hydro generated electricity and then drawn back through the normal system.
Many people get bogged down on this point but the principle is clear. Although there will be times when an area is supplying less to the grid than it is drawing from the network, it is reasonable to claim self sufficiency as long as there are enough periods of oversupply to compensate. The concept is still embryonic in Bathurst. Sites have not been short listed. The economics have not been rigorously investigated. Financial stakeholders have not come forward. Permits have not been obtained. Not even the local council has indicated formal support. But it makes a lot of sense. Consider the broad political and economic pictures.
Politically, power generation is front page news. New South Wales faces electricity shortages unless there is considerable investment in generation schemes but the state government does not want to tie up money or borrow funds to build power stations so it is pushing the unpopular policy of privatising the industry. At the same time, all governments will come under increasing pressure to reduce greenhouse gases and clean power generation is an important part of the solution. It is reasonable to assume the state government would welcome communities funding their own green power schemes because it takes the heat off them on two fronts.
Economically, the argument for wind farms is also compelling. Two megawatt turbines becomes cost positive after eight to 10 years. In other words, after eight to 10 years a turbine has produced about $5 million worth of power which is purchased by suppliers (such as Country Energy, who will be represented at the forum). A turbine has a life expectancy of about 25 years so it has potential to earn another $15 million or so until it needs to be replaced. It sounds like a recipe for making money while you help the environment.
Raising the $50 million needed to build 12 turbines seems daunting but superannuation funds and corporations who have been burnt by the share market crash and the American sub prime property crisis are wary of traditional investment options such as equities and property. They are looking for safe avenues to park millions of dollars.
A convincing argument could be presented extolling the virtues of such a community friendly and financially sound investment without denying small investors the chance to also buy into the project and receive dividends. One of the first jobs would be to identify a location. Bathurst's Climate Action Network has distributed flyers to landholders and already they have received several expressions of interest.
And why wouldn't they? A landholder may be temporarily inconvenienced during the construction phase but once a turbine is up and spinning, there is little downside. The landholder receives a fee for the use of their land and they can still run livestock or crop virtually to the base of the turbine.
There are several criteria for suitable sites, headed, not surprisingly by the need for year round wind. The site needs to be elevated but not at the top of an escarpment which can produce turbulence. Wind needs to be consistent but smooth. An elevated ridge or saddle hill is ideal. The site must have vehicle access, be within 500 metres of three-phase power lines, at least one kilometre from houses or buildings and have little vegetation. It is a huge project and will involve years of work before a sod could be turned but the longest journey starts with a single footstep.
That first footstep will be taken at Bathurst RSL Club, 6.30pm, April 14. Be there.
Fast facts...
WHAT: A public forum to discuss the concept of establishing a community wind farm.
WHEN: Monday, April 14, 2008, 6.30pm to 9.30pm.
WHERE: Bathurst RSL Club auditorium.
WHO: Organised by Bathurst Climate Action Network.
COST: Free.
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