Minister Windy About Parrots

Herald Sun, Page: 25
Thursday, 6 April 2006

A PROPOSED $220 million wind farm has been rejected because it may kill one endangered bird a year. Federal Environment Minister Ian Campbell said yesterday a 52-turbine installation at Bald Hills, near Foster in South Gippsland, posed an unreasonable risk to the endangered orange-bellied parrot. After the release yesterday of the Wind farm collision risk for birds report, the minister said between 99 and 200 of the parrots were left and most of them lived near the coast, where wind farms were most effective. "While the report found that the impact of wind turbine collisions on the parrot may be small - up to one bird death per year - it concluded almost any negative impact on the species could be sufficient to tip the balance against its continued existence," he said.

The minister's decision comes two days before a Federal Court hearing on the matter, which was instigated by developers Wind Power. "Clearly this process sends a strong message to businesses considering investing in regional and rural Australia and that message is 'you are not welcome'," Wind Power spokesman Tim Fawcett said. State Planning Minister Rob Hulls said Mr Campbell's decision was "a cynical political decision pandering to his mates in the fossil fuel lobby". "There has been no scientific evidence of the orange-bellied parrot on the Bald Hills wind farm site," Mr Hulls said.

The following is the final paragraph of the bird impact report.

"Given that the orange-bellied parrot is predicted to have an extremely high probability of extinction in its current situation, almost any negative impact on the species could be sufficient to tip the balance against its continued existence. In this context it may be argued that any avoidable deleterious effect - even the very minor predicted impacts of turbine collisions - should be prevented. Our analyses suggest that such action will have extremely limited beneficial value to conservation of the parrot without addressing very much greater adverse effects that are currently operating against it."

Which prompts the question... Why should Bald Hills pose a danger to the orange-bellied parrot when the Toora and Wonthaggi windfarms, either side of Bald Hills do not appear to be affecting them?

If you wish to contact Mr Campbell or Mr Broadbent...

Senator the Hon. Ian Campbell Minister for the Environment and Heritage Senator for Western Australia Parliament House, Canberra, ACT 2600 Tel: (02) 6277 7640 Fax: (02) 6273 6101 Email: senator.ian.campbell@aph.gov.au Media Contacts: Renae Stoikos 02 6277 7640 or 0418 568 434

Mr Russell Broadbent MP PO Box 6022 House of Representatives Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Tel: (02) 6277 4233 Fax: (02) 6277 8485 Email: Russell.Broadbent.MP@aph.gov.au Electorate Office Contact Warragul Office: Location/Postal Address: 10A Napier Street Warragul Vic 3820 Tel: (03) 5623 2064 Fax: (03) 5623 2509

Corning Winds Up Wind

Electrical World, Page: 5
Friday, 31 March 2006

OWEN Corning has announced a breakthrough in the wind energy market with a better blade composite called WindStrand. WindStrand, reportedly will push the wind energy market to take another step forward in competing against other alternative energy sources by reducing the cost per kilowatt-hour (kwh). The company claims the product will allow turbine manufacturers to increase blade lengths by as much as six per cent and deliver up to 12 per cent more power - for up to 20 per cent less cost than any competing carbon-glass hybrid solution on the market. "In addition to the cost and performance benefits of WindStrand, the product also provides manufacturers with the traditional processability of glass, combined with the stiffness strength and weight of other high performance materials," Corning claims.

Other product highlights compared to conventional E-glass include up to 35 per cent higher tensile strengths; up to 17 per cent higher stiffness (modulus) and enhanced fatigue, impact, aging, corrosion, and temperature resistance. The product is expected to be available later this year. This is the first application using the Owens Corning high-performance reinforcement platform, HiPer-tex, which is the result of a revolution in glass melting, fiberising and sizing technology. The new reinforcement will be produced using the Owens Corning next-generation fiberglass manufacturing process, which reportedly has a significantly smaller environmental footprint than other technologies in use. The performance statistics for WindStrand are based on the company's beta testing in the field, and design blade optimisation by an independent research establishment based in the Netherlands Composite Technology Centre (CTC).

CTC studied the effects of replacing traditional E-glass with WindStrand for several components in a 44-meter long rotor or blade, suitable for a 2.5MW wind turbine. "For 67 years, since the original invention of fiberglass, we've delivered sustainable, energy saving solutions that truly transform markets and enhance lives," Chuck Dana, Owens Corning composites solutions business president. "To continue that pioneering history with the introduction of a new product for wind energy, which is key to our collective ability to meet the rising demand for energy and to safeguard the security of energy supplies, is absolutely at the heart of our corporate purpose and our spirit of true innovation."

Wind's Prospect Get Consent

Electrical World, Page: 3
Friday, 31 March 2006

CONCEIVED, designed and developed by the Wind Prospect Pty Ltd, the 94.5MW Hallett Wind Farm has finally received development consent. As with all South Australian wind energy projects, construction of the 45 turbine wind farm was delayed while a review of generation licences by the Essential Services Commission of South Australia (ESCOSA) was undertaken. The site was identified by Wind Prospect in 2002 as one of the windiest in South Australia.

It was not only selected for its wind resource, but also its environmental suitability, outstanding local support and its location adjacent to an AGL gas fired power station. AGL is the partner in the development. Wind Prospect prepared a comprehensive Environmental Statement, secured the land and optimised the design of the wind farm in the light of all the relevant environmental and operational considerations. Speaking from Wind Prospect's office at Christies Beach near Adelaide, managing director Michael Vawser said "Hallett is the third and by far the largest of our developments in Australia to reach construction, following Mount Millar (70MW) and Canunda (46MW).

In total we have achieved 630MW of development consents to date in South Australia, making us the most successful wind energy developer in the southern hemisphere; a tribute to our highly dedicated and professional team. "Wind Prospect Pty Limited is a subsidiary of the Wind Prospect Group. Founded in 1995 and owned by its staff, Wind Prospect develops, constructs and operates wind energy projects and provides expert advisory services in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and China. To date, Wind Prospect has developed 270MW of wind farms in the UK and 630 in Australia.

Its engineering group has been involved in the construction of 343MW in the UK & Ireland, and the Australian arm recently acted as owner's engineer during the construction of the 46MW Canunda wind farm. Wind Prospect's first Australian project to reach construction was the 70MW Mount Millar project on the Eyre Peninsula with partner Tarong Energy (now under construction), followed by the 46MW Canunda development in the south east of SA with partner International Power, completed in March last year. Set up in 2000, Wind Prospect Pty Limited is based at Christies Beach near Adelaide, with a further office in Brisbane. With a team of only eight professional staff, it continues to be Australia's most successful wind energy developer.

Wind Power For Burnside

Eastern Courier Messenger, Page: 7
Wednesday, 5 April 2006

WIND turbines will be built in Burnside -the first such development in the Adelaide suburbs. Burnside Council approved plans last week to place two 1.8m spinning blades on homes being built at Glen St, Burnside, between the council depot and CFS station. Architect Arthur Grammatopoulos had been hoping for years to incorporate the turbines into a new development.

"I've actually had discussions with an Adelaide company that deals with alternative power over the past couple of years and this (opportunity) came up in the past year or two. "They're trialling this product -it's not on the market at the moment. "Early results show it will power an average household. "The turbines -two connected 1.8m blades that oscillate on top of the roof -will only generate enough energy to power the house.

At Burnside's development assessment meeting last week some councillors criticised aspects of the proposal. Cr Chris Collins said he was "disturbed about starting a trend of putting up windmills in Burnside". "It's not like they are small -it is quite a substantial piece of machinery," he said. "We have to set a precedent here -but if they were for anywhere other than (next to the council depot), I would be voting against it.

"Cr Graham Bills urged the council to consider a trial. "We don't know what these things will do -whether they'll be too big, too noisy, whether birds will fly into them -but we can't prove it or test it until we put it up. "Cr Allan Ward supported the plan, saying spaces would need to be found for turbines" if we don't want to pay increasing electricity bills in the future". A staff report said the impact would be" negligible given that the property is surrounded by commercial and more industrial land uses".

A spokesman for Infrastructure Minister Pat Conlon said the plan was thought to be the first of its kind approved by a metropolitan council.

Energy Cost Denied

The Weekly Times, Page: 33
Wednesday, 5 April 2006

THE Victorian Government has dismissed as "pure speculation" claims that a state-based renewable energy scheme would increase household power bills by up to 6 per cent. In a bid to boost Victoria's wind and other green energy production, the Government is considering its own version of the federal Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET). Under the scheme, energy retailers must contribute to the generation of 9500 gigawatt hours of renewable energy per year by 2010, by buying certificates awarded to green energy producers. But state Energy Minister Theo Theophanous told Parliament last week Victoria had been unable to meet its target of 1000 megawatts of wind power by the end of this year because the Federal Government would not increase the MRET.

Mr Theophanous said the Government was now considering its own scheme to achieve its target of 10 per cent of the state's power coming from renewable sources by 2010. But with the Government set to announce its plans within months, some industry experts have warned Victorian households would be hit with higher electricity bills as a result. Origin Energy spokesman Tony Wood said estimates that the average electricity bill would increase by up to 6 per cent, or $48 a year, were "not unreasonable". In a submission on the proposal, Origin said a state scheme would "not deliver cost effective (greenhouse gas) abatement, being up to four times the cost of that delivered by other approaches".

But a spokesman for Mr Theophanous said estimates on the impact on power bills were "pure speculation and we are currently considering a state based renewable energy target". Australian Wind Energy Association chief executive officer Dominique La Fontaine said the extra cost of a state renewable energy scheme would be small and its benefits tangible. Ms La Fontaine said Business Council for Sustainable Energy figures showed the average home would pay about 35 cents more a week.

A spokesman for anti windfarm group Coastal Guardians Victoria, Tim Le Roy, rejected the idea of a state scheme to boost the wind energy sector. "There is no consumer benefit and no environmental benefit. The Government knows it is not an economic way of reducing greenhouse gases," he said.

Councillors Switched On To Green Energy

Star Williamstown, Altona, Laverton, Page: 13
Tuesday, 4 April 2006

RESIDENTS of Hobsons Bay may soon have a new green option when buying power with the council eyeing an environmentally friendly energy program. The council has expressed interest in joining the Community Power program, a collective of municipalities that negotiate sustainable power from suppliers at reduced prices. Community Power is a partnership between Darebin, Melbourne, Banyule and Yarra City councils and the Moreland Energy Foundation. Green Power is the product reaching the consumer in these municipalities.

It is an "accreditation and branding system, used to certify that power is generated from a renewable source". The project is designed to shift to households some of the responsibility for meeting greenhouse targets in Hobsons Bay by offering power from sources like solar, hydroelectric and wind power. Over 1300 home owners around Melbourne have signed with Community Power, generating gas emission savings estimated to be the equivalent of taking 1800 cars off the roads. Council hoped at least 500 home owners would take up the Green Power option in Hobsons Bay.

Green energy options have traditionally been more expensive for consumers than non-green, a fact that has turned many people off the idea. Community Power members are able to secure a price competitive with regular power prices by collectively negotiating a deal with energy suppliers. Modelling supplied by Community Power suggests in some cases that people choosing the 20 per cent option will actually save an average of $75 a year, while those on the 100 per cent green energy plan could save as much as $135. And there are not only cost savings involved but priceless benefits to the environment through reduced greenhouse gas output.

The Hobsons Bay Greenhouse Action Plan "seeks to reduce local community greenhouse emissions by 20 per cent of 1996 levels by the year 2010". For more information visit www.communitypower.org.

Green energy market grows.

MANY South Yarra residents are making the switch and going green. The suburb now has one of the highest populations of Green Power users in Victoria. More than 78,730 South Yarra residents use Green Power, which is generated from renewable energy from the sun,wind, water and waste. People can chose what proportion of their electricity comes from Green Power when they make the switch. But to use solely Green Power costs roughly $5 more a week than standard power companies.

Prahran state Labor MP Tony Lupton said the number of South Yarra residents using Green Power had almost doubled in the past year.
‘‘These households will collectively cut green house pollution by the equivalent of removing 27,042 cars from Victoria’s roads,’’ Mr Lupton said.

For more information, go to www.sustainability.vic.gov.au or phone 1300 723 588

Tassie Wind Farms Breeze Into China

The Mercury, Page: 9
Tuesday, 4 April 2006

A $300 million deal for three wind farms in China could be the tip of the iceberg for part- Tasmanian-owned energy company Roaring 40s. The joint-venture company, half owned by Hydro Tasmania, yesterday signed off on a new deal with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in Canberra. The deal will see Roaring 40s become a joint partner with Guohua Energy Investment Corporation, the energy arm of the giant Chinese government-owned Shenhua Group. Together they will build three 50MW projects, the first to start later this year on China's east coast.

Roaring 40s managing director Mark Kelleher said the project was just the beginning for the company in the fast-growing Asian market. It was the second major partnership in China and established Roaring 40s as the leading foreign renewable-energy business in that country. ''The Chinese Government has clearly recognised the importance of renewable energy and, by setting a target of 30, 000MW by 2020, has provided a major impetus to the development of wind power, '' he said. ''Certainly we are an early mover as far as foreign businesses are concerned.

''Roaring 40s was formed last year as a joint venture with Hong Kong energy company CLP Group and already has wind-farm interests in Australia, as well as New Zealand, India and China. It has already begun building a 49MW wind farm in China's Jilin province, due to be commissioned in October. Mr Kelleher said the company found itself in a good position in China. ''We have worked hard to understand the market and build relationships, including local companies with experience and skills, '' he said.

The success of its Tasmanian wind farms had been crucial in the expansion of Roaring 40s. ''It grew from what Hydro Tasmania did and was able to be translated into Roaring 40s by joining with CLP. ''At the Woolnorth wind farm we are able to demonstrate the possibilities and, excuse the pun, but when we take business partners to Woolnorth they are blown away, Mr Kelleher said. ''The wind resource in Tasmania is world-class and it enables us to build world class facilities to show potential partners.

''He said Roaring 40s was looking to develop between 500 and 1000MW of wind farms in China in the next eight to 10 years. The company is also looking at opportunities in India, which has a similar demand, and together it could be worth billions of dollars. Work on the final stage of the Studland Bay development, Tasmania's largest wind farm, will be commissioned by the start of next year.

$300M Joint Deal On Chinese Wind Farms

The Advocate, Page: 4
Tuesday, 4 April 2006

HYDRO Tasmania's renewable energy joint venture has signed a $300 million deal for wind farm development in China. The deal between Roaring 40s and big Chinese energy company Guohua Energy was signed in Canberra yesterday, as part of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit. Hobart-based Roaring 40s said the deal established a framework for the joint development of wind farms in China, with an initial target of 150mW of production. Each partner will contribute about $50 million and they will borrow $200 million for an anticipated three 50mW projects.

The first of those is expected to be built in the east coast Shandong province and to start operation next year. Roaring 40s is a joint venture between the Hydro and Hong Kong-based energy company CLP Group, with wind farms in Australia and has entered the Chinese, Indian and New Zealand markets. It entered an agreement with another Chinese company last year to develop a 49mW wind farm in Jilin Province that is expected to be commissioned in October. Mr Kelleher said the new deal was unlikely to bring big opportunities for Vestas' Wynyard wind turbine nacelle plant, as most of the manufacturing would be done in China.

He said Roaring 40s employed about 35 people in Tasmania and was advertising soon for four or five positions.

Locals Generate Wind Farm Progress...

Central Midlands and Coastal Advocate, Page: 7
Thursday, 30 March 2006

THE Emu Downs Wind Farm, 25 kilometres west of Badgingarra. is making good progress, with welcome input from local business. The new onsite Administration building and store, with complimentary landscaping, was recently completed by local company Swan Aussie Constructions, with assistance from Jurien Landscaping. The Shire of Dandaragan undertook earthworks for the building as well as construction of I he access road intersection with Bibby Road.

Shire of Dandaragan Deputy Chief Executive Officer, lan Rennie, said of the Emu Downs Wind Farm construction contracts, "This is a great win for local people, for the local economy, and for regional infrastructure development". Emu Downs Wind Farm Community Affairs Manager, Ken Jack, said the project's joint venturers, Stanwell Corporation and Griffin Energy, were pleased the project was creating local opportunities for businesses, tradespeople, suppliers and other service providers. "Where possible, long term employment is being created and local labour used to support the project. Accommodation and meals, fuels, vehicle servicing, plant operators and operations, roadworks and concrete supplies are all being provided locally.

"The Administration building has been designed to serve the project for the life of the wind farm, and with energy efficient environmental considerations in mind. Solar water heating, insulated walls, a reflective roof and tinted, screened windows have all been installed by local business," Mr Jack said. J&R Carter's Fine Furniture manufactured the office furniture and Jurien Bay Air Conditioning, Jurien Plumbing, ML Communications, and Jurien Bay Betta Electrical also provided their services for the fit out. Roadworks at the intersection of the access road and Bibby Road are finished.

Roadswest Engineering designed the intersection and most of the surveying onsite was carried out by FR Rodda & Co. Gravel and sand were sourced from landowners Rudi and Dot Sudholx. and Mick and Jan Ackland, while Jurien Signs, S&V Pollitt and LYNKYM Springs Fencing Contractors were responsible for signage and fencing. The Pinnacles Best Western Motel has accommodated some of the workforce and Cervantes BP Service Station meets the Project Team's fuel requirements.

Derrick's Coastal AG and Mitre 10 Jurien Bay have also supplied items to the Project. Mr Jack said Stanwell and Griffin Energy want to thank the local business community and Council for their support and show of interest in the wind farm. "The project is off to a solid start and remains on schedule and on budget," he said. Mr Jack said the $180 million, 80 Megawatt Emu Downs Wind Farm would be commissioned in Spring this year.

"We are looking forward to launching this world class project and hope the local community will continue their involvement and support as we progress construction and celebrate project milestones. We are proud to be working with the WA community to deliver secure, safe and sustainable power," Mr Jack said. Emu Downs Wind Farm will generate enough green energy to power more than 50,000 homes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 275, 000 tonnes annually, a significant contribution to Australia's action on climate change. Electricity from the wind farm will be purchased by State energy company, Western Power Corporation.

The project will comprise 48 x 1.65 MW turbines, a substation, interconnection to the main 132 kV grid, administration building, and a network of access roads. It also includes an adjacent car park and viewing area (on Bibby Road, Badgingarra) with educational display. With wind farms becoming increasingly popular as tourist attractions, Emu Downs Wind Farm is poised to provide a new attraction for the area and boost local tourism activity within the Shire of Dandaragan.

The project will link in with local tourism operators and the Pinnacles Visitor Centre.

Babcock & Brown Buys Wind Farms

This action by Babcock & Brown appears to explode the myths that wind farm developments in Europe are declining and are not economically viable...

The Australian Financial Review, Page: 76
Friday, 31 March 2006

Babcock & Brown Wind Partners has bought three wind farms under development in northern France for EU30 million ($51.1 million) plus transaction and tax costs. Also, Wind Partners has a framework agreement to buy about 300 megawatts of wind farms in Germany between 2006 and 2009, giving it a development portfolio of some 1000 megawatts in Europe and the US. James Hall.

For further details see the Babcock and Brown web site..

EP Wind Power Firing

Stock Journal, Page: 16
Thursday, 30 March 2006

POWER from the Mount Millar Wind Farm between Cleve and Cowell on EP is being delivered into South Australian homes and businesses. The first of the 35 wind turbines at the farm began generating power on February 23 and the remainder of the turbines will be gradually brought online as commissioning progresses.

Tarong Energy project manager Nic Buckley said the Mount Millar Wind Farm would complement Tarong's other SA wind farm - the 34.5 megawatt Starfish Hill Wind Farm -completed in December 2003. Construction work on the Mount Millar project began In December 2004 and it is expected that, once fully operational, the farm will generate 70MW of electricity, enough for about 36,000 typical households, and reduce Australia's greenhouse gas emissions by up to 4.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent during its expected 25-year life.

Newfield Wind Farm Controversy

The Camperdown Chronicle, Page: 2
Tuesday, 28 March 2006

Spanish company Acciona Energy has confirmed it will lodge an application for a $45 million Newfield wind farm to Corangamite Shire Council by August. The company, formerly called EHN Oceania, is now in the planning and environmental assessment stage of the project and is now satisfied the proposed site has the potential for 14 wind turbines which would generate enough energy to power 28,000 homes. Acciona, an international renewable energy company whose network extends throughout seven countries, plans to build a 28 megawatt wind farm on privately owned properties along Newfield Ridge, eight kilometres inland from Port Campbell next to the existing gas plants. Due to the wind farm being under 30 megawatts, the final decision will be in the hands of the Corangamite Shire Council.

If the application is approved, Acciona hopes the wind farm will be operational by mid 2007. Acciona Energy environment and stakeholder relations manager Stephanie Rice said the company had been investigating the potential for a wind farm at Newfield since 2004. "We've been monitoring wind in the area for a while now." she said.

"Newfield has a good wind resource for producing green power and it's a good opportunity to connect electricity into the grid network. "We're going through the planning process at the moment, conducting studies, surveys and investigations and preparing an environmental assessment and planning permit application for the local council," Ms Rice said. "We've had meetings with the local council and have kept them informed about what we're monitoring along the way." Ms Rice said Acciona had contracted independent consultants GHD, an engineering and sustainability consultancy company, to interview locals in and around Port Campbell, Newfield and Timboon.

"We've done some survey work and interviews in the community around February and March," she said. "The purpose of these interviews is to understand the community's aspirations and vision for the future, as well as local attitudes and opinions on renewable energy and the wind farm proposal. "In the coming months we're planning to talk to locals and have consultation sessions. "The results from the survey and interviews will inform the framework for on-going community consultation."

"We want to give the local community a picture of what renewable energy is and find out what they want to know and provide them with information. "Ms Rice said there had been a mixture of responses from locals about the proposed wind farm. "We've had a lot of positive comments and also heard concerns about the impact of a renewable energy on neighbouring farms. "The most issues people talk about are the noise levels and impact on flora and fauna."

Ms Rice said the developer is "fairly confident" that the project will go ahead. "We're only at the beginning stages of this project but we're an experienced company," she said. This is the third project in Australia to be undertaken by the company which claims to be the largest wind energy developer in the world. "We have a very successful project in South Australia and last year we got development approval for a wind farm near Goulburn in New South Wales," she said.

"This wind farm is a smaller size (to our other projects), but it's an important one in helping Victoria reach its greenhouse gas emission targets. "We're happy to talk to people about any questions they might have."

Renewable Energy For Hopetoun

Warracknabeal Herald, Page: 1
Tuesday, 28 March 2006

THE Yarriambiack Shire Council has given its support to the University of Ballarat's proposal, to research the capacity of community-owned renewable energy generation for Hopetoun, particularly from wind power. A report from the shire's Economical Development Officer Terry Sanders, stated the Yarriambiack Shire will be working with the University of Ballarat who will be conducting the study, and the Hopetoun Progress Association. Mr Sanders informed councillors at the March meeting that after meeting with the relevant bodies involved, the proposed three year feasibility study will survey Hopetoun's current and projected power demand. The study will also collect wind speed data, investigate potential alternative renewable energy technologies, research waste management needs and practice and investigate potential sustainable industries for Hopetoun.

An application has been submitted to the Victorian Government's "Sustainability Fund" and it will take about three months to process. For the University of Ballarat to start the study, the Yarriambiack Shire has offered them access to office facilities in Hopetoun, a car. office staff and people from the engineering industry to assist with the technical aspects of the study. The University of Ballarat initiated the study about 12 months ago because they wanted towns in northern Victoria especially smaller towns, to consider the option of using alternative energy sources, including wind power and solar energy. By starting the project in Hopetoun, Mr Sanders said the University is hoping other towns in the area will also consider it and the University of Ballarat plans on developing a template for other communities to apply in such studies.

The 3rd way...

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Imagine how attitudes to wind farms might have been more enlightened and welcoming had the community wind farm concept been promoted?

Community owned wind energy projects. The 3rd way...

Wind energy can become part of the community by offering farmers, as well as both rural and urban residents the ability to build, own, operate-and profit from-their own renewable source of electricity.

Read more..

Wind farm proposed for Hopetoun

A community owned wind farm is being proposed for Hopetoun. Ballarat University wants to research the idea and this is supported by Yarriambiack Shire. The proposed study will survey Hopetoun’s current and projected power demand collect wind speed data and investigate potential sustainable industries for Hopetoun.

Vic. wind farm boosts green portfolio

A new wind farm on the Victorian south coast has been added to Country Energy's suite of renewable energy sources, helping the company to meet renewable energy targets and the growing demand for green power.

Known as Wonthaggi Wind Farm, the facility has six large wind turbines and is expected to produce 30,000 megawatt hours of electricity per annum – enough energy to power 4,000 homes.

Thanks to this project, Country Energy will be saving around 28,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year, which would otherwise have been produced from coal-fired power stations.

Under a 10-year power purchase agreement with Regional Wind Farms, the energy company will purchase all of the electricity and renewable energy credits generated by the wind farm.

Group general manager retail, John Adams said Country Energy's comprehensive renewable energy strategy included the purchase of more and more energy from renewable sources.

In addition to wind farm projects in regional New South Wales and South Australia, Country Energy also purchases hydro-electricity from stations throughout NSW; biomass energy (energy generated from natural materials such as plants and organic landfill) from NSW's Far North Coast, Queensland and Sydney; a food waste to energy plant in Sydney; and solar farms and rooftop solar systems across NSW.

Read More

'Enough is enough': Threat to quit UK

Alternative energy development, bureaucratic nonsense and Government hypocrisy. A sad tale of delays and bad management..

The Independent

By Tim Webb
Published: 19 March 2006

One of the UK's largest wind farm developers has threatened to pull out of the country as a storm blows up over the Government's plans for renewable energy.

A logjam in the planning process for developers means that many wind farms will not be operational for a decade. Unless financing rules are changed, Wind Energy is warning that many will never even get built, which could force the Government to miss its targets on renewable energy.

The timing of the protest is embarrassing for the Government, which next month will close consultation on its energy review on nuclear power. Its previous review - only three years ago - was supposed to back renewable energy such as wind power.

Wind Energy wants to build 800MW of onshore wind farms in Scotland, enough to power a city the size of Edinburgh.

National Grid has told the company, and developers of around 100 other wind farms in Scotland, totalling around 6,000MW, that they will not be connected to the grid before 2016.

But despite the huge timelag, developers still have to table deposits upfront to cover the cost of the upgrades to the grid - even if planning permission for their site is not granted and the wind farm does not go ahead.

Under the planning regime, developers have to apply for connection to the grid before they can gain planning permission. Around half the planning applications for onshore wind farms in the UK fail.

Even if a developer secures planning approval and does not lose its deposit for connection, it is not home and dry. Should a nearby wind farm plan fall through, the other developers sharing the planned upgrade to the grid have to shoulder the failed developer's liabilities.

Mike Davies, managing director of Wind Energy, said developers should be able to delay payment until a decision on planning permission is made.

He added that developers had earned a temporary reprieve, until September, before they have to start paying millions of pounds in connection fees to National Grid.

"We are relying on the Government to sort this out in the next six months. Unless things change, we would have to say 'enough is enough - we are pulling out'. We will move to other countries where these projects are easier to develop instead. Trying to get through the regulatory and planning system in the UK is like running in treacle. It needs some movement from the top urgently."

The Government has set a target to generate a 10th of the UK's electricity, or around 7,000MW, from renewable sources by 2010 rising to a fifth by 2020.

Blowing in the Wind

Now here is an enlightened community...

The Advocate

LOCAL support for a proposed community-owned windpark for Daylesford and Hepburn Springs continues to grow.

Hepburn Renewable Energy Association president Per Bernard said that the association had grown since it was formed last year to 150 members.

He said the association hoped to establish a two-turbine community-owned wind park near Daylesford. The energy from the turbines will flow to Daylesford and Hepburn Springs and be enough to power about 2500 homes.

"As everyone knows global warming is a major concern and this is an excellent way for us to make a real change,"Mr Bernard said. "The energy will be made and used locally which is absolutely fantastic."

The association is using local organisations to complete several expert studies for the planning application they hope to lodge with the council over the next few months. Based on extensive European research the wind park would be owned by a local co-operative with members receiving returns from the sale of energy.

The co-operative would make annual payments directly to the local community and help fund local initiatives. Mr Bernard encouraged people interested in the project to contact the association.

"We need to set up the co-operative soon and are asking anyone who thinks they’d like to be involved to get in touch," he said. "It’s a fantastic opportunity to be a founding member."

The association has created an information display about the project and wind power at the Harvest Cafe, Albert St, Daylesford. Membership forms are available there.

Wind farm on line

Eyre Peninsula Tribune

Wednesday, 8 March 2006

Power from the Mt Millar Wind Farm, between Cleve and Cowell, started being delivered into South Australia's homes and businesses last Tuesday, February 28.

The first of the 35 wind turbines at the farm began generating power on Tuesday morning and the remainder of the turbines will be gradually brought on line as commissioning progresses.

Tarong Energy project manager Nic Buckley said Tuesday represented a significant milestone in the short history of the wind farm.

He said Tarong Energy, as the parent company of the Mount Millar Wind Farm, was pleased that commissioning had begun.

"This is an important and exciting step, and once complete, the Mt Millar Wind Farm will complement Tarong's other wind farm in South Australia, the 34.5MW Starfish Hill wind farm, which was completed in December 2003," he said.

Construction work on the Mt Millar Wind Farm project by the German firm Enercon GmbH, began late in 2004 and was completed in December last year.

It is expected that, once fully operational, 70 megawatts of electricity will be generated from the wind turbines, enough for about 36,000 typical households.

The wind farm will reduce Australia's greenhouse gas emissions by up to 4.2 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent during its expected 25-year life.

Electricity from the wind farm is exported into the South Australian transmission grid at the Yadnarie substation, 10 kilometres west of Cleve, via a new 132kV overhead transmission line, which is owned and operated by ElectraNet SA.

"Saving" the Environment

Where are the anti wind farm people volunteering their land as a site for a nuclear power station or repository for radioactive waste?

Wind powering ahead for Tasmania.

Sunday Examiner
Sunday, 12 March 2006

Wind power is set to be a big part of Tasmania’s future - Helen Kempton reports.

CONSTRUCTION of the third and final stage of what will be the biggest wind energy project in the Southern Hemisphere has begun on the buffeted plains of Tasmania’s far North-West tip.

By the end of the year Tasmania’s sole wind farm will boast 62 turbines and generate enough energy to power all the houses in a city the size of Launceston.

Roaring 40s a joint venture between Hydro Tasmania and ChinaLight and Power has taken over the $175 million Woolnorth Wind Farm project. And the man steering the development of its final stage regards the historic grazing property as "God’s own country in terms of both wind power and natural beauty.

"This is a Class A site one of the best in the world," Roaring 40s senior project manager Michael Gilmore said as he surveyed the Studland Bay construction site last week. "All we take from this beautiful place is the wind."

The hilly coastline of Woolnorth is the first land the prevailing westerly winds known as the Roaring 40s touch on their journey across the Southern Ocean from Cape Horn - 20,000km away. And the winds which power the turbines have been labelled the cleanest in the world by the nearby Cape Grim air monitoring station.

So how do companies exploring renewable energy projects pinpoint the best places to capture the power of the wind?

"There is a wind atlas of the world which can be used as a guide," Mr Gilmore said. "But you don’t have to be a genius to know there will be wind in the Roaring 40s pattern. A solar-powered wind monitoring tower also provides the company with data. A wind farm naturally needs wind to operate but not the gale force winds the public might imagine.

In ideal circumstances the turbine blades would rotate 21 times a minute and the turbines at Woolnorth are in full production about 50 per cent of the time. Wind speeds of between 8 and 50 knots (15-95kmh) are okay but winds above 60 knots will stop the blades rotating.

"What we need is a constant wind Mr Gilmore said. "And space between the turbines so they can shed wind if needed. There are also days when there is no wind. "Like the grand opening of stage two for instance when the blades were perfectly still," he said with a wry smile.

Roaring 40s was formed in October last year to explore renewable energy options in Australia, New Zealand and Asia. The company has wind farm developments in Australia, New Zealand, China - where it is constructing a 49MW wind farm at Shuangliao - and is moving into India.

Roaring 40s is worth $220 million and expected to grow to $1 billion by 2010 "Wind power is the current hot technology," managing director Mark Kelleher said. "And with the size of the market in India and China there is huge potential out of Australia.

"China has set a wind energy target of 30 gigawatts - that is the size of the total Australian energy market, but unfortunately while other parts of the world are embracing wind technology Australia’s initial strong support is plateauing out and there will be no more projects developed after 2008 unless this changes.

"In the meantime we decided to get out and build on other opportunities." To build the Woolnorth Wind Farm Roaring 40s bought 3000ha from Van Dieman Land Company in two lots. It now leases that land back to VDL for a peppercorn rent.

Woolnorth Wind Farm does not feel like an energy project in the traditional sense. There are no billowing smoke plumes, no concrete dams. Cows graze contentedly in what has become a construction village and trucks wait as the animals walk up the new access roads to water tanks or new pasture.

Wind farms are considered an eyesore in some parts of Australia. But there is something natural about their placement on these remote windswept hills. "Objections to wind farm developments usually revolve around the visual impact of the towers," Mr Gilmore said.

"You can’t hide them, you certainly can’t miss them. But out here they almost complement the landscape. About 35,000 other people a year agree with Mr Gilmore and tour the Woolnorth property.

Contractor Areva-Hazell Brothers has moved on-site and already 35 people are working as part of the early construction phase with numbers set to peak at 100 toward the end of the project.

Thirty-seven turbines are already paying a graceful choreographed tribute to the power of the prevailing westerly winds at Bluff Point. And by the end of the year they will be joined by another 25 bigger but more powerful dancers at nearby Studland Bay. Complete, the wind farm will generate 140MW.

The power of the turbines is impressive. The Vestas V66 blades on the turbines at Bluff Point are more powerful than those on a jumbo jet. The V90 blades which will be erected on top of the 80m high turbines at Studland Bay are bigger, slower and more powerful again in terms of electricity generation.

"The renewable energy sector is moving so quickly," Mr Gilmore said. "By the time we had erected the V66 turbines in stage one and two they had been superseded by the V90.

"Wind farms have a nominal life of 20 years - anything could happen in that time. Inside the nacelle on the top of the tower is the machinery which converts the energy of the wind into electricity. Cables carry the power underground to a switchyard which then feeds it into overhead lines which carry the electricity to Smithton, Port Latta and the wider Tasmanian power grid. Most is then used by the local domestic market.

The concrete foundations which will support the turbines are already under construction at Studland Bay and should be finished by July. Each foundation involves 450 cubic metres of concrete which will be all batched on site and will take 10 hours to pour.

Woolnorth is one of several staged windpower developments planned for Tasmania. King Island already has five turbines which supply power locally.

Work is scheduled to start on the Musselroe wind project in the North-East when Woolnorth is complete The proposed $230 million Musselroe wind farm has been given its final environmental approvals. When completed the wind farm will have a generating capacity of 129MW enough to supply up to 50,000 homes.

Roaring 40s will then turn its attention to Heemskirk near Granville Harbour on the West Coast where it is planning the construction of a 140MW wind farm.

Oil's well that ends well..

The Mercury
Feb 18, 2006

US President George W. Bush may have surprised international observers by pledging, in his State of the Union address, to break his country's addiction to foreignoil but Sweden was already a step ahead of him.

The environmentally progressive Scandinavian nation has set one of its most ambitious goals yet: to totally end dependence on fossil fuels and do it within the next 15 years. "Our dependency on oil should be broken by 2020, " says Mona Sahlin, the Minister of Sustainable Development.

The utopian ideal, proposed last September by Prime Minister Goran Persson, has met with applause from environmental organisations but also great scepticism from some experts who think the target unrealistic.

Officials in Sweden acknowledge that getting rid of oil completely in so short a time is close to impossible but the aim is to ensure Swedes will never be forced to use fossil fuels because a renewable energy source is not available.

"There will always be better alternatives to oil, which means no house should need oil for heating and no driver should need to turn solely to petrol, says Sahlin. The plan is a response to global climate change, rising prices for petroleum and warnings by some experts the world may soon run out of oil.

"We want to be both mentally and technically prepared [for a world without oil]," says Martin Larsson, a senior officer in the Ministry of Sustainable Development. "A lot of people think that in five to six years a litre of petrol may cost as much as 20 kronor ($A3.40). That would be a dramatic change and a hard hit on a lot of households." Today, the price is around 11 kronor ($Al. 95) a litre.

Persson has said the target will be reached by boosting research into alternative fuels, giving financial incentives for people switching to "green alternatives" and increasing the annual electricity production from renewable sources by 15 terawatt hours by 2016.

Some tax breaks have been introduced and Persson has formed a special commission with the task of finding other ways to make society independent of oil. The commission is to present its first proposals about midyear.

As with Bush's plan, no one is doubting Sweden's good intentions.

"I don't think this is realistic," says Kenneth Werling, chief executive of Agroetanol, which runs Sweden's largest ethanol factory, "but it is a good ambition.

"Maybe we can build a society that is less dependent on oil and that is good in itself."

Sahlin, however, is confident the country can succeed. "Honestly, what is the alternative?" she says. "To wait and see when oil gets even more expensive?"

Sahlin and other experts point to several factors that give Sweden a better chance than most nations to phase out oil.

The country of nine million people has coasts stretching hundreds of kilometres, which have given rise to a number of windpower and waterpower plants. A large new wind farm is being built off the southern coast and the government intends to raise electricity production from renewable resources by 15 terawatt hours in 10 years.

As well, Sweden has more forest per capita than any other EU country, enabling it to bum tonnes of biomass which has helped to make it one of the world leaders in renewable energy.

In 2003, 26 per cent of the energy consumed there was from renewable sources more than four times as much as the European Union average of 6 per cent, according to EU statistics. Only 32 per cent of its energy came from oil, down from 77 per cent in 1970, according to Sweden's own figures.

So while the EU is striving to double its average use of renewable energy to 12 per cent by 2010, Sweden is right in setting the bar much higher, says jacqueline McGIade, executive director of the European Environment Agency in Denmark.

"Many countries are setting renewable energy targets. The difference with Sweden is that the targets are achievable, rather than aspirational, " says McGIade. "This is because government departments have built renewable energy into their longterm policies. "

It's evident in the system for heating houses and apartment buildings a key function in a land where the harsh winter usually lasts up to five months. Many counties use district heating which distributes waterbased heat, often produced by burning garbage or timber.

Today only 8 per cent of Swedish houses are heated by oil, says Stefan Edman, an environmental adviser to the government. As of January 1, those households get tax rebates if they switch to renewable sources.

A far bigger challenge will be the transport sector: only 1 per cent of Swedish run on alternative fuels. However, sales of 1 environmental cars" which run on alternative fuel have almost doubled over the past year and the parliament passed a law in December making it mandatory for all major petrol stations to offer at least one alternative fuel at their pumps.

Sweden already uses more ethanol per head than any other EU country because of a pilot project in which about 5 per cent ethanol is mixed into petrol sold at service stations to reduce pollution, says Werling, of Agroetanol.

You're a Good Man, Lester Brown

An interview with the founder of Worldwatch and Earth Policy Institute....

Read more

China Secures World Bank Loan for Renewable Energy

February 20, 2006

Washington, DC [RenewableEnergyAccess.com]

Earlier this month, the World Bank approved an $86.33 million loan to scale up China's use of renewable energy as the country's demand for power increases.

The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors approved the follow-up project to the 2005 China Renewable Energy Scale-Up Program Phase 1, which would develop a large wind farm in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and rehabilitate and develop selected small hydropower projects in Zhejiang Province.

The overall renewable energy scale-up program aims to develop the Chinese commercial market for energy suppliers to provide renewable energy to the electricity grid on a large scale in an efficient and cost-effective way. Renewable energy sources like wind power, solar power, and biomass have up to now been produced only in small-scale, pilot programs outside the main electricity supply.

"China's energy demands and its need to decrease air pollution make large-scale renewable energy development an important goal," said Noureddine Berrah, lead energy specialist for China. "The idea behind the program is to increase the commercial, large-scale use of renewable energy sources like wind, small hydropower, and solar energy so that they contribute to meeting the fast-growing electricity demand from homes, farms, and businesses."

As China's gross domestic product quadrupled from 1980 to 2000, its energy consumption more than doubled to about 1300 million tons of coal equivalent (Mtce). Projections for energy consumption indicate that fuel consumption could double or almost triple by 2020 (between 2,500 to 3,300 Mtce), even if energy efficiency efforts were increased. The follow-up project to the China Renewable Energy Scale-Up Project (Phase I) provides investment funds to help demonstrate success in large-scale renewable energy development by local renewable energy developers as other local investment funds take time to materialize.

A total of $67 million of the World Bank's investment would go toward the development of the 100 MW Huitengxile Wind Farm in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, which is currently home to approximately 70 MW of wind generation capacity. An additional $19.33 million would finance the rehabilitation and development of selected small hydropower projects (not exceeding 10 MW) in Zhejiang Province.

The $86.33 million International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) loan is a variable spread loan, which matures in 20 years with a 5-year grace period. The project, which is set to begin in April 2006, is expected to be completed in March 2010.

Costs may take wind out of bigger renewable energy plan

The skyrocketing cost of building materials may derail Western Power's plans to extend the Albany wind farm, in southern Western Australia.

Western Power announced in October it would investigate the feasibility of adding another seven turbines to the wind farm at a cost of about $30 million.

The extended wind farm would supply up to 90 per cent of Albany's electricity needs.

Renewable Energy director Paul Ebert says the public response to the project has been encouraging and there are not any technical reasons why it should not go ahead.

But Dr Ebert says he is concerned by unfavourable exchange rates and a spike in the price of materials.

"For example, copper has increased by 50 per cent in cost in the last six months and we use a lot of copper in cables and things like that, so all those costs are going up and that's putting a lot of pressure on the project," he said.

Tracking West

After their innovative wind energy proposals failed to generate excitement in Louisiana, local Sierra Club Chairman Harold Schoeffler and oil magnate Herman Schellstede are getting a welcome reception across the border.

By Nathan Stubbs | 3/1/2006

In February 2004, Schoeffler Cadillac co-owner Harold Schoeffler and New Iberia oilman Herman Schellstede announced their new joint venture, Wind Energy Systems Technology LLC. Headquartered in New Iberia, the company planned to use abandoned oil rigs off Louisiana’s coast as platforms for some of the nation’s first offshore wind farms. It was an innovative idea — one that Schoeffler and Schellstede found to be a tough sell in Louisiana. “Harold and I went to the Public Service Commission the first time, and they figured that we were completely and absolutely crazy in thinking there’s any alternative energy in Louisiana,” Schellstede says.

Two years later, the Louisiana PSC is still studying its options when it comes to wind energy. But WEST isn’t waiting around anymore and pinning its hopes on the Louisiana coast. Under a subsidiary named Galveston-Offshore Wind LLC, WEST recently signed a 30-year lease with the Texas General Land Office to develop the nation’s first offshore wind farm off the coast of Galveston. Over the next three to five years, WEST plans to erect 50 turbines on the 11,355-acre site at a total cost of almost $240 million. The offshore wind farm is expected to generate 150 megawatts of electricity a day, enough to power 40,000 homes.

“We can have power in 2008 in Galveston,” Schellstede says. “That’s the goal.”
For WEST, setting up its first wind energy project in Texas was much more practical than trying to work off Louisiana’s coast. While the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources did get a bill through the state Legislature last year to allow for the leasing of offshore state waters for wind farms up to three miles off the coast, the Public Service Commission hasn’t adopted regulations that would allow WEST to sell its power.

At the end of last year, the PSC looked at a study from a consulting firm that examined different incentives other states have implemented to encourage the development of renewable power. Texas is one of 20 states that have set up systems to require utility companies to buy a portion of their power from renewable energy generators. The requirement helps to seed the renewable power industry in a state, eventually allowing for renewable power to become a competitive alternative to traditional fossil fuel power generation. Until Louisiana adopts a similar system, WEST is shut out by utility providers and has no way of selling its power.

WEST hasn’t been the only one lobbying the PSC to promote the use of renewable energy. Several other parties, including state Agriculture Commissioner Bob Odom’s office, have touted the benefits of generating electricity by burning agricultural byproducts such as wood chips, sugar cane residue and rice hulls. Not only is this a clean, renewable source of energy, advocates say, but it also gives farmers a profitable way of disposing of byproducts.

“Beyond wind, we have outstanding renewable energy opportunities in Louisiana,” says Schoeffler, who also chairs the Acadiana Chapter of the Sierra Club.
The state’s three largest utility companies, Entergy, Cleco and Southwestern Electric Power Company, have rallied against any regulations that would require them to purchase renewable energy. They insist the power sources are unproven and that other auxiliary costs from transmitting the power and adjusting the power grid for intermittent sources — like wind — will drive up their expenses.

Schoeffler and Schellstede maintain all of these issues have been worked out. Because Louisiana’s coast is ideally suited for wind power, they say, the utility companies are passing on a golden opportunity. Unlike onshore wind, offshore wind blows primarily during the day, when demand for electricity is at its peak. As for transmission costs, offshore wind farms can help greatly reduce the distance that electricity currently must travel to reach several coastal communities, like Port Fourchon. “We can do [wind energy] better and cheaper than anybody,” Schoeffler insists.

Right now, the PSC is siding with the utilities, opting to hold off on any renewable requirements. Bill Robertson, who serves as Commissioner Foster Campbell’s executive assistant, says commissioners are cautiously optimistic when it comes to renewable energy. He says it’s really unknown how cost-competitive these renewable energy projects will be in Louisiana, “because nobody’s doing it right now.”

“Right now,” Robertson says, “the commissioners are focused very carefully on anything that affects the price of electricity because the prices are really high right now based on our general dependence on natural gas.

“That’s kind of a double edged sword,” he continues, “because the higher the price of conventional fuels, conceivably the lower the price of a renewable product. But since it’s still largely unknown how much the renewable energy is going to come in, in terms of price, the commissioners are a little bit leery about putting their toe in the water.”

The debate may be just beginning. The PSC has now directed its consultant to go one step further and develop a detailed analysis on the feasibility of renewable energy projects in Louisiana. They also ordered a proposal for a green pricing program. Green pricing requires that utilities give their customers the option of paying a little more each month for electricity by guaranteeing that it come from a renewable source. Robertson expects the PSC will be able to review these studies in about three months. WEST is also considering a small, PSC-approved 35-megawatt pilot project off the coast of Port Fourchon.

For Schoeffler and Schellstede, both elderly white-haired men, the slow-moving bureaucratic process has been frustrating.

“Does a wind turbine work in Louisiana?” Schoeffler asks incredulously. “I mean if it works in Germany and Spain and England and Australia, why wouldn’t it work here? What kind of nonsense is that? Texas is grinding out 3,000 megawatts of windpower. In Texas, they know the wind works. We don’t have to prove it to Texas; they’ve got it figured out. We had no choice but to go to Texas.”

Jim Suydam, spokesman for the Texas General Land Office, says the deal with WEST will generate a minimum of $26 million for Texas’ permanent school fund through royalty payments on the energy. In addition, the state is already collecting on the $10,000 annual lease. Schellstede, who has 37 years of experience in the offshore oil business and whose father worked on the crew of the nation’s first offshore oil rig in the Gulf, makes the project a sound bet for Suydam’s office.

“He’s literally grown up with the business of building offshore platforms,” Suydam says. “He wants to continue to build platforms. We want to continue to be able to make money for the permanent school fund. We’re both just looking for different ways to do the same thing, and wind seems to be the way to do it. They found that Texas was an easier state to do business in than Louisiana.

“We’re the first people to be getting paid for this right now,” Suydam adds, “and we think as the years go by, we stand to make a lot of money off this. We’ve got 367 miles of coast, 10 miles out. We would hope to lease a good portion of that to wind energy development because it makes sense.”

Many Texans are already experiencing the benefits of wind energy. Austin’s municipal utility has a green pricing program, which locked customers who wanted renewable energy into a 10-year fixed rate for their electricity. With the current increase in natural gas prices, green power customers in Austin are getting lower energy bills than customers using traditional energy sources. Demand for the program has exceeded supply, and Austin’s utility recently raffled off the remaining renewable power capacity.

“I don’t think the price of natural gas is going to go down any,” Suydam projects. “And at [current prices], wind is cheaper. So, it’s not about feeling good, and it’s not about being groovy and green or anything. It’s all market-based economics. And the fact that it is good for the environment is like frosting on the cake.”
Schellstede wouldn’t be investing in wind power if he didn’t see enormous potential. He and Schoeffler often point to a 2003 Stanford University study that identifies Louisiana’s Gulf coast as the most opportune location to develop wind energy.

“We’ve always known this from the oil and gas operations,” Schellstede says. “[The wind] blows you out of the Gulf. But we never put two and two together.”
A mild-mannered man who towers over 6 feet tall, Schellstede’s always been a shrewd wildcatter. His company is currently involved with one of the deepest offshore natural gas drills in the Gulf. At the Schellstede and Associates office, housed in a historic 19th century wood floor schoolhouse building along the Bayou Teche in New Iberia, Schellstede proudly displays large-scale models of oilfield work boats his company helped design. (Schellstede and Associates holds more than 80 patents.) One model of the world’s largest barge rig occupies an entire corner of a room.

Schellstede has set up the WEST office with five employees in an adjacent building on the old school campus. Mounted on a pedestal outside the WEST office is a new 5-feet-tall model of a red wind turbine hooked into a yellow base that resembles an oil derrick. The turbine tower is adjustable, able to slide up and down into its support base. Schellstede says with this design, WEST will be able to pull down its turbines’ collapsible propellers in the event of a Gulf storm or hurricane.

There’s still a lot of work to be done before WEST can put these turbines on the leased property off the coast of Galveston. Within the next two months, WEST will erect two 80-foot high meteorological towers to identify the best locations for its turbines. Schoeffler will conduct a study examining the Gulf flights of neo-tropical birds to ensure that the turbines do not endanger their migration. And through a partnership with Texas A&M, WEST plans to collect data on Gulf wind and water currents. Schellstede says the yearlong study will cost the company about $5 million before it puts up a single turbine, but in the end, he thinks it will pay off. He is courting big investors interested in partnering in the project once the study verifies the Gulf winds.

“We’re going to learn more about that area than anyone’s ever learned before,” Schellstede says. “It’s very expensive to do, but at the same time it’s worth everything. The economic models that we have, especially if oil goes up to $100 a barrel, there’s a really reasonable payout on these wind farms.”

Clean Power At Risk As Target Reached

The Sunday Times, Page: 6
Sunday, 5 March 2006

BILLIONS of dollars of clean power plants might never be built because Australia is ahead of schedule achieving its green energy targets of just 1 per cent. In New South Wales alone, there are 16 wind plants worth $2.4 billion awaiting planning permission, with three more already approved. Together, they would power almost 500, 000 homes and save 4.6 million tonnes of greenhouse gasses a year - the equivalent of taking a million cars off the road.

While no dollar figures were available for WA, the state has more windfarms than any other - 13 in operation and 11 on the way. This compares with six in Victoria, with another 21 planned; five in South Australia, with 24 planned; four in Tasmania, with six planned; and two in Queensland, with four planned. These combined projects would boost Australia's wind-power capacity more than tenfold - from 618MW to 6457MW - or enough to power almost 1.5 million homes.

Hydro-electric, solar and biomass plants are also at risk because Australia has almost met its renewable-energy target of 1 per cent of all power, four years ahead of schedule. Despite their increasing efficiency, wind turbines need government support to compete with cheap fossil-fuel power. Without an increase in the Federal Government-imposed target, industry figures say many of the projects will not be viable. Under the target scheme, renewable-energy producers are entitled to tradeable certificates for every kilowatt hour of clean energy they produce.

Traditional energy producers are obliged to fill a renewable-energy quota by buying certificates, accounting for about half the income of renewable energy producers. When the 1 per cent target is reached extra certificates generated from new renewable sources will become worthless. SA has its own target of 20 per cent renewable energy over the next 10 years - the most ambitious target so far. WA's target is 6 per cent by 2010- with an increased target mooted for 2020 - while Victoria will soon introduce a 10 per cent target over 10 years.

There are hopes NSW and other states will do the same, but the Government has refused to meet the industry's request for a national target of 5 per cent. In fact, WA's own target could be jeopardised by a lack of federal funding - though this hasn't happened yet, according to WA Energy Minister Francis Logan. ''While no renewable energy projects in WA have been delayed to date due to Australia already meeting its federal target, there is potential for this to occur, '' he said. Federal Environment Minister Ian Campbell recently wrote to the WA Government calling for a ''national code'' for windfarms, and threatened to withhold funds without one.

Australia's climate makes it an ideal testing ground for solar technology and wind-energy generation. Engineer-turned-entrepreneur Colin Leibman, whose company Southern Cross Wind Power is trying to build a $233 million wind farm near Goulburn, New South Wales, said January's Asia-Pacific climate conference held little of value for the renewable sector. Mr Leibman said the Government's commitment to spend $100 million developing clean-energy technology would not help because the sector needed economic incentives, not research money. ''For people in the industry, it's very disappointing, '' he said.

Wind power could also bring income to drought-ravaged farmlands, while easing pressure on local environments by reducing the intensity of farming. But Senator Campbell believed the existing renewable- energy target was enough to keep the industry growing. ''The mandatory renewableenergy target has been highly successful in kick-starting wider deployment of renewables, '' a spokeswoman for the minister said. ''The Government is always open to innovative ideas for taking the Energy White Paper framework forward, from the renewable energy industry and other industry groups.

''But the Australian Wind Energy Association is confident things will improve. ''Pressure for increased renewable power is building all the time, '' a spokeswoman said.

Windmill Influence

The Standard (Warrnambool), Page: 5
Saturday, 4 March 2006

There wouldn't be many gambling addicts and partygoers at Melbourne's casino who would think for a minute about what was under their feet before the site was all lights, music, bars, pokie machines and dancefloors. [f they did, the last thing they would think of would be a factory which engineered and made pieces for one of Australia's most photographed manmade objects-the windmill. But in the 1890s, that is what the southwest's James Alston and his band of labourers were doing. In 2006 energy companies continue to earmark south-west Victoria as an ideal setting to plant their giant wind turbines -Macarthur, Codrington, Yambuk, Cape Bridgewater, Cape Nelson, Cape Sir William Grant.

This fact, combined with a backward glance to about 100 years ago, makes you wonder if Warrnambool earnt it's 'windy' cliche for reasons apart from the city's climate. James Alston was not the only big name in windmills which blew in from the south-west-there was Bruce McClure, John Esam, John Morieson and later the Webb Brothers. But Alston is known as the most influential windmill manufacturer in Australia, sometimes referred to as the 'Giant of the Australian Windmill Industry'. The Melbourne Museum recognised this and has one of his windmills on display, although a bit of sniffing around discovered they'd made one tiny mistake - the legendary James Alston has been cited as 'John Alston of Warrnambool'.

The man who would become one of the country's most productive windmill manufacturers and whose employees would go on to become some of Australia's most successful in the same field began his career on Conn's Corner in south-west Victoria. His time spent in the district would be one of innovative design and fierce, sometimes tense competition with rivals. One of his opposition would even spend hours writing letters of complaint to the local newspaper whenever Alston won yet another prize at an agricultural show. He was 13-years-old when he moved from Southworkto Australia in 1850 and was 17-years-old when he took up a fouryear apprenticeship in the iron trade.

In May, 1874, he was reported as buying a business at Dennington, but which was actually at Conn's Corner in Farnham and was on William Rutledge's land. The first Alston Windmill was erected at Dennington in the 1870s and as demand for his windmills grew, the need for a larger premises did too. In 1884 he moved to Warrnambool at theVictoria Forge and Implement Works site on the corner of Raglan Parade and Darling Street and in the same year he secured the first patent for a windmill design in his name. Alston's rival windmill maker John Morieson was playing second fiddle to Alston at all the agricultural shows and his anger was building.

There is some talk around History House even now, that Morieson may in fact have been a better windmill maker and that his claims were not unfounded. But Morieson was especially disappointed when he was refused permission to offer a tender for a windmill which was needed for the Mortlake Common. He badgered the council to admit they were wrong and acknowledge the superiority of his windmills. At one point Morieson tried to sue Villiers and Heytesbury Agricultural Society for 115 pounds, a figure which he believed was the amount of money he would have earnt had he been awarded the prizes he claimed he deserved.

The case was thrown out of court. In 1889 Alston was granted another windmill design patent and trumpeted himself as the largest manufacturer of windmills and pumps in Australia. By 1890 the Alston name had spreadthroughout the country and his windmill design was awarded first prize at the Grand National Show. He did extremely well during the seven-year drought from 1896 when windmills were in high demand and in 1897 he applied for another patent.

It was at this point he made his big move - he moved his business into a large factory at Queensbridge Works in Moray Street, South Melbourne. By 1924 there were more than 50, 000 Alston windmills in use and in the last known issued James Alston and Sons catalogue c!930, Alston claimed he was the originator of the all metal curved windmill blade - it would appear there is some justification for this view. Until the outbreak of World War Two, Alston had a stronghold on the Australian windmill market and also exported to countries such as China, India and parts of Africa. After he died in 1943 the company declined until 1960 when it went into bankruptcy.

The shortage of manufacturing materials after the war and less competitive designs led to diminished sales and allowed other companies such as Metters and Southern Cross to take over the market. Later the company D. E. C.

Webber of Beaconsfield manufactured modified Alston design windmills.

Winds Of Change

Glen Innes Examiner, Page: 1
Thursday, 2 March 2006

WIND farms proposed for the Ben Lomond and Furracabad/Waterloo areas are likely to proceed to the next stage, despite a decision by one of the developers to focus more on China, where renewable energy is more economically viable. Although reports in recent months have predicted the loss of renewable energy developments in Australia it appears the two proposed windfarms, being developed by separate parties, will still get the go ahead. The assurances seem to be supported by the Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics (ABARE), which at its annual Outlook conference in Canberra this week supported the development of renewable energy. "The transfer of advanced energy efficient and low emissions technologies is also expected to play a key role in allowing countries to achieve their economic, energy security and environmental goals concurrently," Dr Brian Fisher, Executive Director of ABARE told the Outlook 2006 conference on Tuesday.

Anemometer towers that measure the amount of wind available for wind electricity production have been set up in both areas and have returned positive preliminary results. One landowner in the Furracabad area who did not wish to be identified said he was happy that results showed that the winds in the Waterloo Rangearea were some of the best winds in the state. The area has been noted as a wind-power 'hotspot' on the Great Dividing Range by developer, investment house Babcock and Brown. "It's all go," said Babcock and Brown's Adrian Pizza.

"It's a great wind site. "Mr Pizza told the Examiner yesterday that the Furracabad wind-farm would definitely go ahead assuming there were no problems with the environmental impact assessment currently being undertaken. At this stage Babcock and Brown are looking at constructing 20 wind turbines in the Furracabad area though this number has not yet been finalised. Ben Lomond landowner and potential wind-farmer Dorothy Every pointed out the flow on benefits to the community with tourism being generated by visitors to the wind-farms and a boost in general commerce during the construction phase.

"We think it would be of economic benefit to the local district in both that it will be a financial benefit to the landowner and there will be a flow-on effect to the greater community through tourism as a result of public curiosity," Mrs Every said. "Even in the construction phase the local communities will benefit and later a person will have to be employed for maintenance," she said. Although the future of the current developments in the region does look stable at this stage there are still major concerns over further renewable energy initiatives as major green energy companies move their operations offshore. Richard Finley-Jones of company evergreen which is involved in the development of the Ben Lomond wind-farm told the Examiner that the inability of the Federal Government to offer competitive prices for renewable energies was the major reason projects such as wind-farms are being sent overseas.

He noted that the Howard Government has asked for only 2 per cent of all energy production to come from renewable energies, a quota that is already oversubscribed. "The price is normally $30 to $40 per kilowatt hour and now it is down to $26 because the market has been oversubscribed, other markets such as in China are up to $100 per kilowatt hour," Mr Finley-Jones said. "The policy directions of the government are driven by the fossil fuel industries," he said. Although being pessimistic of the current political acceptance of renewable energies Mr Finley-Jones was optimistic for the future of the Ben Lomond development as it is located in a prefect location of wind-farming.

Vestas Receives Order For 29 Units of the V80-2.0 MW Wind Turbine to New Zealand

Friday, March 03, 2006

The Vestas Group has received an order for 29 units of the V80-2.0 MW wind turbine for the White Hill Wind Farm, which is located close to Mossburn in the South Island of New Zealand.

The order for the White Hill Wind Farm project has been placed by Meridian Energy, which is New Zealand’s largest state-owned electricity generator. The order includes supply, installation and commissioning, remote control system as well as a five-year service and maintenance agreement. Shipment of the turbines will begin in late 2006, and commissioning of the wind power plant will take place during the first half of 2007.

”We are delighted to enter into the White Hill contract with Meridian. The signing of this contract marks a major new milestone in the ongoing strong relationship with Meridian,” says Thorbjørn N Rasmussen, President of Vestas Asia Pacific A/S.

Vestas has previously supplied a total of 55 units of V72-1,650 kW turbines for Meridian’s Te Apiti project in New Zealand.

OG&E signs agreement to build new wind farm

03/03/06

OG&E Electric Services announced Wednesday it signed a contract with an affiliate of Illinois-based Invenergy Wind LLC to build OG&E’s new wind energy facility located north of Woodward in Harper County. The new facility will be named OG&E Centennial Wind Farm.

"This is a major expansion of renewable energy in Oklahoma," said Steven E. Moore, chairman, president and CEO of OGE Energy Corp.

"High natural gas prices and the enthusiastic support of Oklahomans and our leaders make this something to celebrate for our state and OG&E," Moore said.

This will be the first wind project owned and operated by OG&E. In 2003, OG&E entered into a 15-year agreement to purchase 50 megawatts of power from 34 turbines owned and operated by Florida-based FPL Energy near Woodward.

Construction of the new facility is contingent upon approval from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to recover the estimated $200 million in costs associated with the 120 megawatt project.

The new wind farm is expected to be complete and operational by December 31, 2006.
OG&E is a subsidiary of OGE Energy and serves approximately 740,000 customers in a service territory spanning more than 30,000 square miles in Oklahoma and western Arkansas.

Invenergy Wind LLC is an affiliate of Chicago-based Invenergy LLC, a developer, owner and operator of power generation and energy delivery assets whose development activities include wind energy facilities.

Midwest's windmills generate buzz

Some people persist in repeating the nonsense that wind turbines don't work. Even more surprising is that some politicians appear prepared to believe them. The following article clearly demonstrates wind turbines do work and secondly, not all politicians think only of today but are prepared in fact, to consider the future.


By Judy Keen, USA TODAY
MASON CITY, Iowa — Windmills are sprouting on hillsides across the Midwest, but this city is encouraging the use of electricity-producing wind turbines everywhere — even in homeowners' backyards.

Mason City this week became the first Iowa town to set rules that allow windmills in commercial, industrial and residential zones. The City Council unanimously approved the ordinance Tuesday.
City planner Tricia Sandahl says the council initially considered permitting windmills only in industrial areas. "Then we decided, let's just take a bolder step," she says. "We wanted to encourage small wind systems in residential areas. With electric prices going up, it just makes sense."

A few generations ago, almost every farm around here had a windmill that generated enough energy to pump water or grind grain. Those old-fashioned windmills became extinct after rural electric cooperatives extended power in the 1940s. In the last decade, commercial wind farms sprouted as energy costs soared.

The increasing popularity of wind energy is part of a surge in the development of alternative energy sources that's apparent here. Mason City, population 28,000, also is home to a plant that produces ethanol, a fuel made from corn and grain. A plant that will process soybean oil into biodiesel fuel will be finished late this year.

"Iowa is doing an awful lot to capitalize on its natural resources," says Gary Swanson of Energy Management Solutions, a consulting company. He's working with several Mason City manufacturers who are considering building windmills.

'Stream of revenue'

The Midwest is leading a spike in wind projects:

• Minnesota passed a law last year that encourages new windmills by cutting red tape and offsetting some construction costs.
• Michigan's public service commission changed its policies last year to allow consumers to sell excess electricity from windmills back to utilities.
• North Dakota last year reduced application fees and made it easier to get permission to build windmills.

Lisa Daniels, executive director of Windustry, a Minneapolis-based non-profit group, says wind energy is a natural fit in rural areas. Farmers lease their land to commercial wind farms and in many states can sell back excess electricity from their own windmills.

Wind power soars

Electricity generated nationally by wind power: (in megawatts*):
1981: 10
1985: 1,039
1990: 1,525
1995: 1, 697
2000: 2,578
2005: 9,149

Top producers
States generating the most electricity from wind power, as of Dec. 31 (in megawatts*):
California: 2,150
Texas: 1,995
Iowa: 836
Minnesota: 744
Oklahoma: 475
* a megawatt equals 1 million watts
Source: American Wind Energy Association

"People are seeing that it's not only good for the environment, but it's also ... a new revenue stream that fits in well with the corn and the soybeans," Daniels says.
Tax credits and low-interest loans are making windmills more affordable. A small home-based system costs about $40,000.

Last year, a record 9,149 megawatts of electricity was produced by wind in the USA, says Christine Real de Azua of the American Wind Energy Association, a trade group.
That's just 0.5% of all electricity generated in the country, but production this year is expected to top 12,000 megawatts and keep climbing. One megawatt is enough to power 300 to 1,000 households at any one time, depending on climate and other factors.

"It's possible we could generate up to 20% of our electricity needs through wind and turbine," President Bush said Tuesday at the National Renewable Energy Lab in Colorado.

Marv Schlutz helped make Mason City a wind-energy pioneer. He asked the zoning board for a variance so he could put a 100-foot windmill at Mason City Warehouse, his storage business. He figured he'd save enough on electric bills to pay for a $40,000 system in eight to 10 years.

"The neighbors raised heck with me," Schlutz says. They worried about whether birds could be killed by rotating blades, TV signal interruptions, interference with the local hospital's emergency helicopter and bad odors that could be sent their way.

Opposition faded as gas and electricity prices kept rising. School districts in Forest City and Spirit Lake, also in northern Iowa, were using windmills to cut utility bills. The Cerro Gordo wind farm in Ventura, a few miles west of here, has 55 large turbines on 2.4 acres.

Tom Hurd, a Mason City architect, installed two 35-foot-tall windmills outside his office. His windmills and solar-energy panels produce 90% of the electricity used by his company, Spatial Designs.

"If the wind is 15 mph or less, you don't even hear it," he says. "Once a year you have to check whether the blades are tight, and that's all you have to do."

Hindrances, ordinances

There can be drawbacks. The 300-foot-tall wind turbines that stretch for miles along Altamont Pass, Calif., have been blamed for the deaths of tens of thousands of birds. Residents of Cape Cod, Mass., who oppose a proposed offshore wind farm say it would create visual pollution. Nebraska is studying whether transmission lines have to be updated to handle electricity produced by windmills, diminishing their cost-effectiveness.

Mason City's ordinance requires permits for windmills and sets limits on where they can be built. Residential windmills can't exceed 100 feet tall and can be put only in backyards. The lot has to be big enough so that if the windmill topples it doesn't cross property lines.

Sandahl, the city planner, says several homeowners have called to get information about installing a windmill. Bill Hammond, who manages an alternate-energy loan program at the Iowa Energy Center, a research facility at Iowa State University, predicts that more people will want windmills as they recognize the potential.

"There's actually money in that wind," he says, "and people want a piece of it."

Edison Inaugurates A New 16-MW Wind Farm In Ripabottoni

By HS - Webbolt Newsroom
February 15, 2006, 20:00

Milan, Italy - The commissioning of the Ripabottoni Wind Farm marks another step in Edison's plan to expand its renewable resource facilities. Located in the province of Campobasso, this new facility will have 24 aerogenerators with a total generating capacity of 16 MW. They will produce 32 million kWh, enough electricity to meet the needs of 16,000 households.

"Renewable resources will play a key role in Edison's growth," said Umberto Quadrino, the Company's Chief Executive Officer. "The commissioning of the Ripabottoni Wind Farm confirms our commitment to add 200 MW of wind-power generating capacity over the next four years. This additional clean energy will help avoid the emission of 180,000 tons of carbon dioxide a year and will contribute to achieving compliance with the emissions reduction objectives contained in the Kyoto Protocol."

The technology used at Ripabottoni is based on three-blade aerogenerators with a generating capacity of 0.66 MW per unit. Construction of the facility took six months and required an investment of 20 million euros. The installation of the wind generators was carried out with the utmost respect for the local landscape and existing activities.

The Ripabottoni facility brings the number of Edison wind farms to 24. Their total installed capacity is almost 260 MW, 60 MW of which were brought on stream in the last two years with the commissioning of five new wind farms.

Edison's activities in the field of renewable resources also include its hydroelectric operations, which operate 42 power plants with a combined installed capacity of about 1,500 MW. In addition, Edison is involved in the development of other clean technologies, such as photovoltaic energy, and is also considering expansion opportunities outside Italy.

Copyright 2006 - Webbolt Company Limited All rights reserved.

Portugal powers ahead as wind champion

More evidence that Wind energy is in demand and growing....


Portugal powers ahead as wind champion

* Massive new project to harness Atlantic gales
* Lisbon setting European pace on renewables


Giles Tremlett
Thursday March 2, 2006
The Guardian

Portugal signalled the launch of one of Europe's biggest wind power projects yesterday - a move that will supply enough electricity for 750,000 homes. The contract is the equivalent to a quarter of all the wind power installed in the European Union last year. It will help cement the growing reputation of Portugal - a country importing 86% of its energy needs - as a renewable energy champion. This year, it has already approved the building of the world's largest solar plant.

The new wind project will rank Portugal alongside Denmark and Spain as the European countries with the highest proportion of wind energy in the national grid. It will more than double wind power capacity in Portugal.

The winning consortium will be asked to erect about 500 turbines at various locations. "This is definitely one of the biggest tenders we've seen [in Europe]," Christian Kjaer, policy director at the Brussels-based European Wind Energy Association, told Reuters news agency. "We've seen those [auctions] more in the United States and Canada." Half a dozen consortiums featuring some of Europe's biggest power companies were expected to have lodged their bids for the two-phase 1,500-megawatt project by last night's deadline. The winner is expected to be announced during the summer.

Portugal's Socialist government also aims to create 1,600 jobs by allocating €900m (£613m) for turbine equipment manufacturing. With a 520-mile coastline, often battered by Atlantic gales, Portugal is well-placed to take advantage of wind power. Last year, the country increased its wind power target for 2010 from 3,750 to 4,400MW. Lisbon is looking to wind to help meet its goals under the Kyoto protocol on curbing greenhouse gas emissions.

The country's emissions surged almost 37% from 1990 to 2003 - the third-highest increase in the world. One of the EU's poorer countries has, however, already shown signs of leading Europe in renewable energy. Its energy plans range from the world's first commercial wave farm to putting a hydroelectric dam on its last big undammed river, the Sabor. The government set aside a €2.5bn renewable energy war chest last year.

It recently granted a licence for the world's biggest solar energy plant, which will be able to produce enough electricity to power 21,000 homes for the southern town of Moura. The 62MW plant will use 350,000 solar panels spread over an area the size of 150 football pitches. It will be 12 times the size of the biggest solar power plant currently in operation near Leipzig, Germany.

A wave power plant is also being established near the northern town of Povoa de Varzim. Using sausage-shaped floating generators made by a Scottish company to lap up energy from the Atlantic, it is due to generate sufficient power by the end of this year to supply 1,200 homes.

Some energy experts predict that Portugal could eventually produce 20% of its needs from the sea.

Gathering force

The global wind power market increased by 43% last year. The total capacity now stands at 59,322MW. This is a fraction of the total electricity supply, but the figure is rapidly growing. The countries with the highest total installed capacity are Germany (18,428MW), Spain (10,027) the US (9,149), India (4,430) and Denmark (3,122). Britain, China, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and Portugal have all reached the 1,000MW mark.

Canberra causes wind farm hold-up

The following story clearly demonstrates the will to develop wind energy continues despite federal government handicaps, coal industry pressure and the anti wind farm nay-sayers predictions of doom and gloom. I wonder why it is OK to subsidise coal powered electricity and coal research but not wind power?

From the Hobart Mercury
By Luke Sayer - 25 Feb06

THE loss of federal energy credits could pose a much greater threat to Tasmania's largest wind farm than delays in local government planning.

West Coast Mayor Darryl Gerrity this week raised doubts about the future of the Heemskirk wind farm, north-west of Zeehan. He said ongoing delays made him wonder about the commitment to the $300 million project.

But Roaring 40s project development manager Gustavo Bodini yesterday said planning for the 160 megawatt farm was continuing unabated. Roaring 40s, a joint venture company formed by Hydro Tasmania and China Light and Power, is behind the project along with other wind farms in Tasmania.

Mr Bodini said the Heemskirk project was still on track, despite planning starting back in January 2003.

"It is such a complex site in terms of environment and location, we have to have a very comprehensive study of the environment," he said.

"We are working with state and federal regulators to obtain approval to operate a wind farm there."

Mr Bodini said the Howard Government's decision to cease the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target scheme (MRET) was affecting a number of wind farm projects. The MRET scheme offers financial incentives for establishing clean and green energy.

"We are encouraging the government to reconsider the [MRET] change," he said.

"But, at the moment, that's the major threat to the project."