State backs wind farms for beating gas crisis

The Sunday Age, Page: 3
Sunday, 9 July 2006

WIND farms are set to become more widespread across Victoria after a new report found turbines had a major impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The report is also a likely forerunner to the State Government's expected announcement of a mandatory renewable energy targets (MRET) scheme. "There has been this myth pushed around that wind farms don't displace fossil fuel greenhouse gas emissions," Environment Minister John Thwaites said. He said the report, released today, showed critics of wind energy were "ill-informed".

It found that Victoria's wind farms were saving more than 250,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions a year, the equivalent of taking 60,000 cars off the state's roads, he said. The report, commissioned by the State Government and produced by McLennan Magasanik Associates, found that for every 100 megawatts of wind energy produced, greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by between 240,000 and 290,000 tonnes. Victoria produces 104 megawatts of wind energy a year. Mr Thwaites said the report would push the case for an MRET scheme for Victoria.

Under the scheme, the economic competitiveness of wind power is increased compared with traditional fossil fuel energy sources. There was planning approval for new wind farms that could deliver an extra 511 megawatts of energy a year, the minister said. Building of new farms by industry had been delayed because the Federal Government's MRET scheme had effectively expired, he said. Energy Industries and Resources Minister Theo Theophanous said the market would take more wind-generated electricity if it were available.

Mr Thwaites said he was not concerned about orange-bellied parrots slowing down plans.