Wind farm delays anger

Adelaide Advertiser
Wednesday 17/1/2007 Page: 34

THE operator of one of the biggest wind farms in the Southern Hemisphere has attacked the State and Federal Governments for frustrating its plans for a $200 million project in South Australia.

New Zealand-based Trust-Power, which last week gained approval to build a 42-turbine wind farm on the Barunga Range, 5km west of Snowtown, says it has been investigating the development of a wind farm in the state for four years.

The $2.4 billion renewable power generator and retailer, however, claims it has been "hampered" by changes to state licensing requirements.

Chief executive Keith Tempest is also critical of the Federal Government's failure to make a longterm commitment to renewable electricity generation. Australia's Mandatory Renewable Energy Target of 2 per cent by 2010 is fully subscribed and the Government has refused to lift it.

"It is very pleasing to be able to commence development," Mr Tempest said after the Essential Services Commission granted it a licence to produce 88MW of wind power when the Snowtown farm is commissioned late in 2008. The commission delayed approvals for new wind farms for almost a year between November, 2004, and September, 2005, while it sought advice from the Electricity Supply Industry Planning Council on the long-term impact of the expansion of wind power.

It since has approved another 340MW of wind powered electricity generation, taking the total licensed capacity to almost 800MW - more than 20 per cent of the state's total generating capacity.

Commission chairman Dr Patrick Walsh defended the delay, saying new policies for wind farms would allow the industry to fulfil its potential in SA, while ensuring the integrity and reliability of supply. About 10 wind projects pending at the time approvals were suspended have yet to be resubmitted.