Windy sites sought

Sunday Mail Brisbane
Sunday 21/9/2008 Page: 22

THE State Government is searching for the windiest places in Queensland. In a bid to encourage alternative energy generation, the Environmental Protection Agency is working on a map showing the most promising locations to set up wind farms. "This initiative will provide useful research information free to anyone interested in developing wind energy," Climate Change Minister Andrew McNamara said. The EPA will produce the maps using its own data and information from the CSIRO.

Within a week or so, it will have information on winds at a height of 3000m. Data on wind at ground level should be available by the end of November. Early indications are that areas of north Queensland are promising, as well as an arc stretching from Kingaroy to Toowoomba in the southeast. The State Government recently called for expressions of interest from companies to develop a wind farm on state owned land at Archer Point, near Cooktown. The Federal Government is expected to order that 20 per cent of the country's electricity comes from renewable sources by 2020.