West Australian
Monday 20/8/2007 Page: 24
It has already saved WA from stage six water restrictions and by 2020 desalination and wastewater recycling is expected to be the State's only new source of water. Forget dams, bores and rivers - up to six major desalination plants will be built along the coast, from Esperance to Cape Preston, to quench WA's increasing thirst. Countless smaller capacity plants will also be established in remote inland and coastal communities, including Coral Bay, Yalgoo and Hopetoun and up to 50 per cent of "wastewater" will be recycled and drunk.
Water Corporation desalination principal engineer Gary Crisp doesn't need a crystal ball to predict the important role desalination will play in the State's water future. "Only additional water, provided from seawater desalination and wastewater recycling using reverse-osmosis, can sustain WA's growth and save the State from the worst drought this country has ever seen," he said. "It will be our saving grace, without it we would be on full water restrictions only using water to drink, bathe and wash." In fact, Mr Crisp believes desalination technology could not only solve the nation's water crisis, but alleviate pressure in those global regions where water was scarce and populations were growing. "Seawater desalination is a water source of the future, new engineering," he said.
"I believe only cities with a high rainfall and a small population like Darwin and Hobart and countries with an abundance of water like Canada will resist the move. Even London is considering desalination of Thames estuary water. "If it is powered by renewable energy, seawater desalination will become the only renewable, sustainable water source and it will supplement our traditional reserves in coastal cities in and and semi-arid regions." Earlier this year, Premier Alan Carpenter announced a second $1 billion water desalination plant would be built in Binningup by 2011. The first major sea water desalination plant to be built in the southern hemisphere was commissioned at Kwinana, south of Perth, in November.
The $387 million plant will produce 45 billion litres of water annually, or almost 20 per cent of Perth's water needs. In Queensland, the Government recently started building a $1.2 billion desalination plant on the Gold Coast and work on another $2 billion plant in Sydney will start soon. And many Mediterranean countries, including Spain - which built one of the world's first reverse-osmosis plants almost four decades ago - are rapidly turning to the technology. Mr Crisp said WA's pristine coastline boasted "some of the best conditions in the world" for constructing successful desalination plants.
"Our sea water is very clean and is of a high quality - it is totally free of pollutants and its clarity is high," he said. "Perth isn't usually affected by cyclones, which stir up the water and the seawater temperature range is also good for optimal seawater reverse-osmosis plants. "We also have lots of wind to drive a wind farm which provides a renewable energy source to power the desalination plant. "These very favourable conditions have helped us build the world's most advanced desalination plant in Perth." Mr Crisp said water engineers had been coming to terms with the technology since the mid 1990s with the State's first desalination plants on Rottnest Island and in Shark Bay. "Like desalination, the provision of `environmentally-friendly' water and water services is a business of the future and water engineers will always be in demand," he said.
Monday, 20 August 2007
Friday, 17 August 2007
Wind energy support turns up at Scotts Head
Coffs Coast Advocate
Friday 17/8/2007 Page: 19
THERE'S a renewable energy that is proving to be more than just a lot, of hot, air. And, if you ask Michael Jones, the answer is blowing in the wind. "I believe that's it, not a matter of if, it's a matter of when," he said. "This area has good potenial for using wind energy." The Grassy Head resident, is so keen to see wind energy propel into popularity, he is organising a local wind energy group. The group held their first meeting yesterday in Scotts Head. "A wind turbine can generate the same amount of energy as solar power, for around hail the price," Michael said. "In Australia, we have better potential for wind energy than Spain, who is generating 27 per cent of all their electricity from wind. It makes a lot of sense to utilise wind to produce energy."
Michael and his family live on a 30-acre property, and are planning on installing a wind energy system to power the house. "An average household uses approximately 12 kilowatts a day. A two kilowatt turbine working at maximum velocity would rim household lights, computers, a fridge, stove and other appilances," he said.
When working as an ecologist, Michael became aware of the effects of climate change. "I was mapping mangroves in the Northern Territory, and saw them expanding landward. I look this as a sign of sea eve rise," he said. "Then when I read The Weather Makers by Tim Flannery, I found it very worrying." These events spurred Michael to give presentations on climate change to local community groups, and become interested in alternative forms of energy. He said he would like to see wind turbines become common features on small holdings. "Just like you see television aerials on every house, I would like to see wind turbines become commonplace," he said.
To generate wind energy, you need an area with relatively high average wind speeds, and little or no turbulence. Like solar panels, wind turbines produce power from a renewable energy source. They basically consist of a set of blades connected to a generator or alternator; whether directly or via a gearbox, which produces power as it is turned by the rotating blades. The power from the turbine is used to charge batteries for later use, and a regulator is required for use with wind turbines. Grid interactive wind energy systems are less common, but are available.
Mobile Recycling Facts:
Friday 17/8/2007 Page: 19
THERE'S a renewable energy that is proving to be more than just a lot, of hot, air. And, if you ask Michael Jones, the answer is blowing in the wind. "I believe that's it, not a matter of if, it's a matter of when," he said. "This area has good potenial for using wind energy." The Grassy Head resident, is so keen to see wind energy propel into popularity, he is organising a local wind energy group. The group held their first meeting yesterday in Scotts Head. "A wind turbine can generate the same amount of energy as solar power, for around hail the price," Michael said. "In Australia, we have better potential for wind energy than Spain, who is generating 27 per cent of all their electricity from wind. It makes a lot of sense to utilise wind to produce energy."Michael and his family live on a 30-acre property, and are planning on installing a wind energy system to power the house. "An average household uses approximately 12 kilowatts a day. A two kilowatt turbine working at maximum velocity would rim household lights, computers, a fridge, stove and other appilances," he said.
When working as an ecologist, Michael became aware of the effects of climate change. "I was mapping mangroves in the Northern Territory, and saw them expanding landward. I look this as a sign of sea eve rise," he said. "Then when I read The Weather Makers by Tim Flannery, I found it very worrying." These events spurred Michael to give presentations on climate change to local community groups, and become interested in alternative forms of energy. He said he would like to see wind turbines become common features on small holdings. "Just like you see television aerials on every house, I would like to see wind turbines become commonplace," he said.
To generate wind energy, you need an area with relatively high average wind speeds, and little or no turbulence. Like solar panels, wind turbines produce power from a renewable energy source. They basically consist of a set of blades connected to a generator or alternator; whether directly or via a gearbox, which produces power as it is turned by the rotating blades. The power from the turbine is used to charge batteries for later use, and a regulator is required for use with wind turbines. Grid interactive wind energy systems are less common, but are available.
Mobile Recycling Facts:
- Australians uprade or exchange their mobile phones every 18 to 24 months, resulting in nearly 16 million old mobile phones cluttering people's homes and offices across Australia, of which four million no longer work.
- Mobile phones are not biodegradable and contain small amounts of potentially hazardous substances such as cadmium in NiCad batteries which if not managed properly can be harmful to the environment.
- By recycling mobile phones, more than 90 per cent of the mobile phone product materials can be extracted and reused such as plastics, gold, silver, copper and nickel.
Switch to Greenpower and make a difference
Milton Ulladulla Times
Wednesday 15/8/2007 Page: 12
CURRENTLY eight per cent of the national electricity grid is generated by accredited renewable sources. The Federal Government has set a mandatory target of about 10 per cent. Accredited renewable sources (Greenpower) include wind, solar, hydro and biomass.
The Shoalhaven Clean Energy for Eternity (CEFE) group believes this target doesn't go far enough. What do you think? Clean Energy for Eternity is committed to 50 per cent renewable energy by the year 2020. We do not want future generations to be left wondering why the tough decisions were not made now. The time to act is today. Shoalhaven residents can make all the difference. To look at it economically, supply will influence demand. Demand will eventually reduce the price. Increased demand has created 182 new Greenpower generators since 1997. Greenpower generators in the Shoalhaven (as of June 2007) include:
The Shoalhaven CEFE will lobby our local government to gain their commitment to 50 per cent renewable energy by 2020. We want them to encourage renewable energy generation in our local area. If you think the Shoalhaven Council should take the challenge contact them and let them know. Bega Valley and Eurobodalla councils have already made the 50/50 by 2020 commitment. If they can do it, we can do it!
If you wish to contact us please email on littleearth@shoal.net.au
Wednesday 15/8/2007 Page: 12
CURRENTLY eight per cent of the national electricity grid is generated by accredited renewable sources. The Federal Government has set a mandatory target of about 10 per cent. Accredited renewable sources (Greenpower) include wind, solar, hydro and biomass.
The Shoalhaven Clean Energy for Eternity (CEFE) group believes this target doesn't go far enough. What do you think? Clean Energy for Eternity is committed to 50 per cent renewable energy by the year 2020. We do not want future generations to be left wondering why the tough decisions were not made now. The time to act is today. Shoalhaven residents can make all the difference. To look at it economically, supply will influence demand. Demand will eventually reduce the price. Increased demand has created 182 new Greenpower generators since 1997. Greenpower generators in the Shoalhaven (as of June 2007) include:
- Callala Bay Public School (solar);
- Shoalhaven High School (solar);
- Kangaroo Valley Power Station (hydro);
- Bendeela Power Station (hydro);
- West Nowra landfill gas (LFG - bioenergy).
The Shoalhaven CEFE will lobby our local government to gain their commitment to 50 per cent renewable energy by 2020. We want them to encourage renewable energy generation in our local area. If you think the Shoalhaven Council should take the challenge contact them and let them know. Bega Valley and Eurobodalla councils have already made the 50/50 by 2020 commitment. If they can do it, we can do it!
If you wish to contact us please email on littleearth@shoal.net.au
Climate Change meeting in Narooma
Narooma News
Wednesday 15/8/2007 Page: 4
LAST week a few 'good souls' - gathered to listen to climate change expert Erwin Jackson from the Climate Institute Australia, along with community educator and mother Philippa Rowland from Clean Energy for Eternity and Independent Candidate for Eden - Monaro Acacia Rose speak about climate change and implications for the region.
Last Tuesday's meeting was the result of the CWA NSW Annual meeting in Jindabyne when local CWA member and Agriculture and Environment representative Shirley Dellamarta met Acacia. 'This was an excellent opportunity for people to hear about the importance of immediate action on climate change,' Ms Rose said. 'Erwin Jackson and Philippa Rowland have a good grasp of the science of global warming and CO2 emissions' 'Erwin Jackson identified the trend towards global warming and said that scientists are concerned about the Greenland ice sheet melting.' 'The sudden collapse of the Larsen B ice shelf in Antarctica took scientists by surprise and indications are that if Antarctica melts it will cause a six metre sea level rise and if the Greenland ice sheet melts it will cause an additional six metre sea level rise.'
Ms Rose said 'The United Nations has already identified that over 150 million people live below the, one metre mark and 250 million are living below the five metre ASL mark.' 'The CSIRO report and study at Bateman's Bay is timely and we need to develop contingencies now to deal with potential sea level rise and increased storm events that will affect the coastal infrastructure and homes.' Erwin Jackson said that the Climate Institute Australia had assessed the policies of both major parties and they are clearly inadequate to deal with global warming.
Acacia Rose spoke about her first hand experiences of warming with the drying out of alpine vegetation and the potential for an alpine 'ecosystem crash' that would mean loss of vegetation and soil possibly far worse than intense grazing above the tree line. 'I am putting out the "Nott Target" of 50:50 by 20:20 as an achievable economic target for Australia.' 'We can begin by reducing emissions by 15 per cent over the next three years and then 10 per cent every three years until 2020 and at the same time increase our Mandatory Renewable Energy Target.'
'My vision for Australia is that every school becomes completely sustainable with solar, water tanks, permaculture garden and composting waste system or similar,' Erwin Jackson said Shirley Dellamarta thanked the speakers and encouraged people to talk about climate change and do something about it themselves at the individual level and as a community. CEFE meanwhile had 200 people attend a meeting in Cooma last week meant to encourage that shire to join the three other South Coast shires committed to the 50:50 target.
Wednesday 15/8/2007 Page: 4
LAST week a few 'good souls' - gathered to listen to climate change expert Erwin Jackson from the Climate Institute Australia, along with community educator and mother Philippa Rowland from Clean Energy for Eternity and Independent Candidate for Eden - Monaro Acacia Rose speak about climate change and implications for the region.
Last Tuesday's meeting was the result of the CWA NSW Annual meeting in Jindabyne when local CWA member and Agriculture and Environment representative Shirley Dellamarta met Acacia. 'This was an excellent opportunity for people to hear about the importance of immediate action on climate change,' Ms Rose said. 'Erwin Jackson and Philippa Rowland have a good grasp of the science of global warming and CO2 emissions' 'Erwin Jackson identified the trend towards global warming and said that scientists are concerned about the Greenland ice sheet melting.' 'The sudden collapse of the Larsen B ice shelf in Antarctica took scientists by surprise and indications are that if Antarctica melts it will cause a six metre sea level rise and if the Greenland ice sheet melts it will cause an additional six metre sea level rise.'
Ms Rose said 'The United Nations has already identified that over 150 million people live below the, one metre mark and 250 million are living below the five metre ASL mark.' 'The CSIRO report and study at Bateman's Bay is timely and we need to develop contingencies now to deal with potential sea level rise and increased storm events that will affect the coastal infrastructure and homes.' Erwin Jackson said that the Climate Institute Australia had assessed the policies of both major parties and they are clearly inadequate to deal with global warming.
Acacia Rose spoke about her first hand experiences of warming with the drying out of alpine vegetation and the potential for an alpine 'ecosystem crash' that would mean loss of vegetation and soil possibly far worse than intense grazing above the tree line. 'I am putting out the "Nott Target" of 50:50 by 20:20 as an achievable economic target for Australia.' 'We can begin by reducing emissions by 15 per cent over the next three years and then 10 per cent every three years until 2020 and at the same time increase our Mandatory Renewable Energy Target.'
'My vision for Australia is that every school becomes completely sustainable with solar, water tanks, permaculture garden and composting waste system or similar,' Erwin Jackson said Shirley Dellamarta thanked the speakers and encouraged people to talk about climate change and do something about it themselves at the individual level and as a community. CEFE meanwhile had 200 people attend a meeting in Cooma last week meant to encourage that shire to join the three other South Coast shires committed to the 50:50 target.
Trade in GHG permits and credits up 45%
www.environmental-finance.com/
London, 16 August: Volumes in the world's carbon markets were up 45% year-on-year to 1.2 billion tonnes in the first six months of 2007, according to research from Point Carbon. Carbon allowances and permits worth €15.8 billion ($21.2 billion) were traded in the first six months of 2007 compared with €22.5 billion in all of 2006, an increase of 41% in annualised terms, according to the Oslo-based analyst company.
The European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) saw two-thirds of the traded volume, with the equivalent of 775 million tonnes (Mt) of carbon dioxide (CO2) changing hands at a financial value of €11.5 billion. The EU ETS, the world's first international emissions trading scheme, which was launched in January 2005 to help the EU meet its targets under the Kyoto Protocol, requires companies to emit less CO2 than their target or buy carbon permits to make up any shortfall.
The EU ETS covers more than 10,000 power stations and other stationary sources of greenhouse gas emission in the EU's 27 member states. Most of the growth in trading was in forward contracts for the second phase of the scheme, which runs from 2008 to 2012. In the UN-administered Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), involving projects in developing countries that limit or reduce GHG emissions, 372Mt CO2 was traded, to the value of €4.1 billion. The secondary market in issued CDM credits doubled from 40Mt and €571 million in all of 2006 to 80Mt and €1.3 billion in the first half of 2007.
"We're seeing a spectacular growth in the carbon market. This is good news because CO2 trading is an essential tool in the fight against human-induced climate change," said Endre Tvinnereim, senior analyst at Point Carbon. "The EU ETS and CDM have almost the same market share as last year, but the strong growth in the secondary CDM market and in the EU ETS Phase II have made the market much more dynamic."
London, 16 August: Volumes in the world's carbon markets were up 45% year-on-year to 1.2 billion tonnes in the first six months of 2007, according to research from Point Carbon. Carbon allowances and permits worth €15.8 billion ($21.2 billion) were traded in the first six months of 2007 compared with €22.5 billion in all of 2006, an increase of 41% in annualised terms, according to the Oslo-based analyst company.
The European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) saw two-thirds of the traded volume, with the equivalent of 775 million tonnes (Mt) of carbon dioxide (CO2) changing hands at a financial value of €11.5 billion. The EU ETS, the world's first international emissions trading scheme, which was launched in January 2005 to help the EU meet its targets under the Kyoto Protocol, requires companies to emit less CO2 than their target or buy carbon permits to make up any shortfall.
The EU ETS covers more than 10,000 power stations and other stationary sources of greenhouse gas emission in the EU's 27 member states. Most of the growth in trading was in forward contracts for the second phase of the scheme, which runs from 2008 to 2012. In the UN-administered Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), involving projects in developing countries that limit or reduce GHG emissions, 372Mt CO2 was traded, to the value of €4.1 billion. The secondary market in issued CDM credits doubled from 40Mt and €571 million in all of 2006 to 80Mt and €1.3 billion in the first half of 2007.
"We're seeing a spectacular growth in the carbon market. This is good news because CO2 trading is an essential tool in the fight against human-induced climate change," said Endre Tvinnereim, senior analyst at Point Carbon. "The EU ETS and CDM have almost the same market share as last year, but the strong growth in the secondary CDM market and in the EU ETS Phase II have made the market much more dynamic."
Majority support wind farms
Moyne Gazette
Thursday 16/8/2007 Page: 3
There have been only three public submissions relating to the Ryan Corner wind farm.
MOST people were in favour of wind farms but those against them were sometimes very vocal in their opposition, a hearing on a wind farm proposed for Ryan Corner near Port Fairy has been told. TME Australia consultant Alan Wyatt made the statement in response to a query from a member of the independent panel hearing TME Australia's application to install 68 wind turbines at Ryan Corner.
The panel member had asked why there were vastly different reactions from the public to various wind farm proposals. The Ryan Corner proposal has so far provoked little public opposition with only three public submissions to the panel received so far. None of those who made written submissions asked to speak at the panel hearings in Port Fairy last week on the proposal. The panel member said the public's reaction to the proposed Ryan Corner wind farm was different to that of the Bald Hills wind farm in south Gippsland. That proposal attracted about 1500 objections.
TME has told the panel that studies involving at least 300 people had looked at their perception of wind farms and found most were in favour. Mr Wyatt said those who did not like wind farms were sometimes very antagonistic and their strong opposition was not a true measure of the community's feelings about a wind farm proposal. "Studies of at least 300 people are far more reliable than four of five or 10 people that might be antagonistic," Mr Wyatt said.
TME had told the panel hearing its perception studies found people believed wind farms were in "man modified landscapes that can absorb change". TME also told the panel the Ryan Corner wind farm would have a low visual impact on the Princes Highway. It said windbreaks, plantations, roadside vegetation and stony rises would filter the views of the wind turbines so the wind farm would have limited visual impact on surrounding towns such as Port Fairy, Yambuk and Orford. The major visual impact would be on houses adjacent to the wind farm. The panel will make a recommendation to the State Government that will decide whether to approve the wind farm.
Thursday 16/8/2007 Page: 3
There have been only three public submissions relating to the Ryan Corner wind farm.
MOST people were in favour of wind farms but those against them were sometimes very vocal in their opposition, a hearing on a wind farm proposed for Ryan Corner near Port Fairy has been told. TME Australia consultant Alan Wyatt made the statement in response to a query from a member of the independent panel hearing TME Australia's application to install 68 wind turbines at Ryan Corner.
The panel member had asked why there were vastly different reactions from the public to various wind farm proposals. The Ryan Corner proposal has so far provoked little public opposition with only three public submissions to the panel received so far. None of those who made written submissions asked to speak at the panel hearings in Port Fairy last week on the proposal. The panel member said the public's reaction to the proposed Ryan Corner wind farm was different to that of the Bald Hills wind farm in south Gippsland. That proposal attracted about 1500 objections.
TME has told the panel that studies involving at least 300 people had looked at their perception of wind farms and found most were in favour. Mr Wyatt said those who did not like wind farms were sometimes very antagonistic and their strong opposition was not a true measure of the community's feelings about a wind farm proposal. "Studies of at least 300 people are far more reliable than four of five or 10 people that might be antagonistic," Mr Wyatt said.
TME had told the panel hearing its perception studies found people believed wind farms were in "man modified landscapes that can absorb change". TME also told the panel the Ryan Corner wind farm would have a low visual impact on the Princes Highway. It said windbreaks, plantations, roadside vegetation and stony rises would filter the views of the wind turbines so the wind farm would have limited visual impact on surrounding towns such as Port Fairy, Yambuk and Orford. The major visual impact would be on houses adjacent to the wind farm. The panel will make a recommendation to the State Government that will decide whether to approve the wind farm.
Push for 150 turbines
Ballarat Courier
Friday 17/8/2007 Page: 4
MORE than 150 wind turbines are being slated for construction between Skipton and Beaufort. Wind Power, who is backing the push to construct the wind farm, is behind a similar push to construct 19 turbines near Smeaton. Company director Andrew Newbold said the company was looking at constructing between 150 to 200 turbines, and if successful the $700 million Stockyard Hill project would be one of Australia's largest wind farm developments producing enough power for 250,000 homes. Mr Newbold said the company had begun its planning reports and environmental impact studies.
The first community meeting will be held this Saturday. However not everybody is happy. The Western Plains Landscape Guardians Association formed in February after hearing of the proposal and group spokesman Warwick Read said invitations to the information session were received late. You can't help but feel it was deliberately done," he said. "People are signing up in droves because they want the money. It's just sad and these developers don't care. 't'hey are chasing the dollars. The size of the project is growing every weekend and I don't think there is one neighbour who has been consulted about it."
About 45 landholders between Beaufort and Skipton had signed up to have turbines, and the project had grown because of community support, Mr Newbold said. "There is a hell of a lot of local support for it. We have got to go through all the planning reports and all the environmental studies which we have commenced," he said. "We would be anticipating at lodging a planning application next year. We will be gauging what the people want from it at the community information day." The information day will be held this Saturday at the Lake Goldsmith Steam Rally Hall, Carngham Lake Goldsmith Rd, Lake Goldsmith front 10am to 3pm.
Friday 17/8/2007 Page: 4
MORE than 150 wind turbines are being slated for construction between Skipton and Beaufort. Wind Power, who is backing the push to construct the wind farm, is behind a similar push to construct 19 turbines near Smeaton. Company director Andrew Newbold said the company was looking at constructing between 150 to 200 turbines, and if successful the $700 million Stockyard Hill project would be one of Australia's largest wind farm developments producing enough power for 250,000 homes. Mr Newbold said the company had begun its planning reports and environmental impact studies.
The first community meeting will be held this Saturday. However not everybody is happy. The Western Plains Landscape Guardians Association formed in February after hearing of the proposal and group spokesman Warwick Read said invitations to the information session were received late. You can't help but feel it was deliberately done," he said. "People are signing up in droves because they want the money. It's just sad and these developers don't care. 't'hey are chasing the dollars. The size of the project is growing every weekend and I don't think there is one neighbour who has been consulted about it."
About 45 landholders between Beaufort and Skipton had signed up to have turbines, and the project had grown because of community support, Mr Newbold said. "There is a hell of a lot of local support for it. We have got to go through all the planning reports and all the environmental studies which we have commenced," he said. "We would be anticipating at lodging a planning application next year. We will be gauging what the people want from it at the community information day." The information day will be held this Saturday at the Lake Goldsmith Steam Rally Hall, Carngham Lake Goldsmith Rd, Lake Goldsmith front 10am to 3pm.
Thursday, 16 August 2007
$110m wind farm on track: Portland final stage starts next year
Warrnambool Standard
Thursday 16/8/2007 Page: 7
WORKS on the $110 million final stage of Portland's wind energy project will start early next year. Pacific Hydro yesterday announced it had finalised a significant purchase agreement for the Cape Sir William Grant and Cape Nelson wind farms. While works for the Cape Bridgewater stage continue, the commitment means the total $330 million project will be finalised by 2009. The future of the third and final stage was in doubt before last year's state election.
The Liberal Party opposed a renewable energy target promoting cleaner sources of power. Pacific Hydro's Andrew Richards yesterday said Labor's strategy to deliver 10 per cent of the state's energy from renewable sources by 2016, had been crucial. "Without the Victorian target, we would not be able to commit this level of investment," he said. "This demonstrates the important economic and environmental benefits that renewable energy targets deliver." Works for the contentious Cape Bridgewater project are on schedule, with the first of its 29 wind towers to go in later this year.
The majority of access roads and wind tower foundations have been completed. Work at the substation beside Portland Aluminium is continuing. Mr Richards said the 195-megawatt project, which included Yambuk, would produce enough electricity for about 125,000 homes. It would also avoid about 920,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas each year. When approved in 2002, the Portland wind energy project was the biggest in the southern hemisphere. The Cape Bridgewater site caused much controversy because of fears its natural beauty would be destroyed by the turbines.
Thursday 16/8/2007 Page: 7
WORKS on the $110 million final stage of Portland's wind energy project will start early next year. Pacific Hydro yesterday announced it had finalised a significant purchase agreement for the Cape Sir William Grant and Cape Nelson wind farms. While works for the Cape Bridgewater stage continue, the commitment means the total $330 million project will be finalised by 2009. The future of the third and final stage was in doubt before last year's state election.
The Liberal Party opposed a renewable energy target promoting cleaner sources of power. Pacific Hydro's Andrew Richards yesterday said Labor's strategy to deliver 10 per cent of the state's energy from renewable sources by 2016, had been crucial. "Without the Victorian target, we would not be able to commit this level of investment," he said. "This demonstrates the important economic and environmental benefits that renewable energy targets deliver." Works for the contentious Cape Bridgewater project are on schedule, with the first of its 29 wind towers to go in later this year.
The majority of access roads and wind tower foundations have been completed. Work at the substation beside Portland Aluminium is continuing. Mr Richards said the 195-megawatt project, which included Yambuk, would produce enough electricity for about 125,000 homes. It would also avoid about 920,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas each year. When approved in 2002, the Portland wind energy project was the biggest in the southern hemisphere. The Cape Bridgewater site caused much controversy because of fears its natural beauty would be destroyed by the turbines.
AGL pulls out of wind farm plan
Ballarat Courier
Thursday 16/8/2007 Page: 5
THE Victorian Government says its renewable energy targets are still on track despite plans to dump a financially enviable $140 million wind turbine farm. AGL Energy Limited yesterday officially abandoned plans to build the 48 turbine Dollar Wind Farm in Victoria's southeast, 10 months after placing its application on indefinite hold. AGL cited financial concerns with the project.
"Even considering the current and any future emissions trading environment, the economics of the project are less compelling as compared with other projects under investment consideration by AGL," the company said in a statement yesterday. "Renewable energy is AGL's core business and we will continue to explore and develop a diverse power generation portfolio including base, peaking and intermediate generation plants."
Thursday 16/8/2007 Page: 5
THE Victorian Government says its renewable energy targets are still on track despite plans to dump a financially enviable $140 million wind turbine farm. AGL Energy Limited yesterday officially abandoned plans to build the 48 turbine Dollar Wind Farm in Victoria's southeast, 10 months after placing its application on indefinite hold. AGL cited financial concerns with the project.
"Even considering the current and any future emissions trading environment, the economics of the project are less compelling as compared with other projects under investment consideration by AGL," the company said in a statement yesterday. "Renewable energy is AGL's core business and we will continue to explore and develop a diverse power generation portfolio including base, peaking and intermediate generation plants."
Wind farm plan dumped
Age
Thursday 16/8/2007 Page: 5
ENERGY giant AGL has dumped a controversial $140 million wind farm planned for South Gippsland. The company put the 48-turbine Dollar wind farm on hold last October and yesterday confirmed it was pulling out altogether. AGL said the project was less financially attractive than others under consideration. The project, near Foster, had been strongly opposed by Gippsland residents.
AGL has planning approval for another wind farm, between Macarthur and Hawkesdale in western Victoria, which will be the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere. The project would have contributed 79 megawatts to the State Government's target of 10 per cent renewable energy by 2016. Energy Minister Peter Batchelor's spokesman, Bill Kyriakopoulos, said the Government remained committed to the target.
Thursday 16/8/2007 Page: 5
ENERGY giant AGL has dumped a controversial $140 million wind farm planned for South Gippsland. The company put the 48-turbine Dollar wind farm on hold last October and yesterday confirmed it was pulling out altogether. AGL said the project was less financially attractive than others under consideration. The project, near Foster, had been strongly opposed by Gippsland residents.
AGL has planning approval for another wind farm, between Macarthur and Hawkesdale in western Victoria, which will be the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere. The project would have contributed 79 megawatts to the State Government's target of 10 per cent renewable energy by 2016. Energy Minister Peter Batchelor's spokesman, Bill Kyriakopoulos, said the Government remained committed to the target.
Go Solar, Wind Or Geothermal If You Want Renewable Energy With Life-cycle Efficiency
www.sciencedaily.com/
August 13, 2007
Science Daily — Do the overall efficiencies of renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, and geothermal add up in terms of their complete life cycle from materials sourcing, manufacture, running, and decommissioning" Researchers in Greece have carried out a life cycle assessment to find the answer.
Increasing energy consumption and a growing world population implies shrinking reserves of fossil fuels. While the use of fossil fuels brings with it the problem of carbon dioxide emissions and climate change. Our continued dependence on fossil fuels coupled with the pressing global issue of climate change has pushed the concept of renewable energy sources to the top of the agenda.
In looking for alternative energy supplies, there is more to simply adding up the outputs, according to Christopher Koroneos and Yanni Koroneos of the Laboratory of Heat Transfer and Environmental Engineering, at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. They argue that a whole life cycle assessment of any environmentally friendly energy supply must be carried out to ensure its green credentials are valid. Writing in Inderscience's International Journal of Global Energy Issues, the researchers point out that land use and materials employed are just two aspects of renewable energy development that can have an adverse impact on the otherwise positive environmental picture.
There are three viable renewable energy resources, say the researchers - solar energy, wind energy and geothermal energy. They have applied the techniques of life cycle assessment (LCA) to each in order to determine the total environmental impact and to compare this with the effects of equivalent energy release from fossil fuels. The LCA approach allows an assessment to be made of the flow of material and energy used in the construction, operation and ultimate decommissioning of a renewable energy supply. It also takes into account the manufacturing of components, the possible extraction and supply of fuels as well as waste generated in these processes.
The researchers demonstrate that some renewable energy systems based on wind energy and geothermal energy do have valid green credentials in electricity production. The efficiency of these systems is comparable over the complete life cycle than the equivalent fossil fuel system. However, the conversion of solar energy to electricity using photovoltaic solar cells is less efficient in terms of materials production, running, and recycling than non-renewable energy. However, economies of scale come into play with solar power and a large enough area of solar cells would outstrip the fossil fuel system.
The team also points out that the life cycle pollution of solar systems is much, much lower than any conventional system although thermodynamic efficiency is lower. "A significant advantage of the use of renewable energy systems," say the researchers,"is that they are environmentally friendly because overall they result in lower dangerous pollutant emissions, this and one other major factor, they are essentially inexhaustible."
Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by Inderscience Publishers.
August 13, 2007
Science Daily — Do the overall efficiencies of renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, and geothermal add up in terms of their complete life cycle from materials sourcing, manufacture, running, and decommissioning" Researchers in Greece have carried out a life cycle assessment to find the answer.
Increasing energy consumption and a growing world population implies shrinking reserves of fossil fuels. While the use of fossil fuels brings with it the problem of carbon dioxide emissions and climate change. Our continued dependence on fossil fuels coupled with the pressing global issue of climate change has pushed the concept of renewable energy sources to the top of the agenda.
In looking for alternative energy supplies, there is more to simply adding up the outputs, according to Christopher Koroneos and Yanni Koroneos of the Laboratory of Heat Transfer and Environmental Engineering, at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. They argue that a whole life cycle assessment of any environmentally friendly energy supply must be carried out to ensure its green credentials are valid. Writing in Inderscience's International Journal of Global Energy Issues, the researchers point out that land use and materials employed are just two aspects of renewable energy development that can have an adverse impact on the otherwise positive environmental picture.
There are three viable renewable energy resources, say the researchers - solar energy, wind energy and geothermal energy. They have applied the techniques of life cycle assessment (LCA) to each in order to determine the total environmental impact and to compare this with the effects of equivalent energy release from fossil fuels. The LCA approach allows an assessment to be made of the flow of material and energy used in the construction, operation and ultimate decommissioning of a renewable energy supply. It also takes into account the manufacturing of components, the possible extraction and supply of fuels as well as waste generated in these processes.
The researchers demonstrate that some renewable energy systems based on wind energy and geothermal energy do have valid green credentials in electricity production. The efficiency of these systems is comparable over the complete life cycle than the equivalent fossil fuel system. However, the conversion of solar energy to electricity using photovoltaic solar cells is less efficient in terms of materials production, running, and recycling than non-renewable energy. However, economies of scale come into play with solar power and a large enough area of solar cells would outstrip the fossil fuel system.
The team also points out that the life cycle pollution of solar systems is much, much lower than any conventional system although thermodynamic efficiency is lower. "A significant advantage of the use of renewable energy systems," say the researchers,"is that they are environmentally friendly because overall they result in lower dangerous pollutant emissions, this and one other major factor, they are essentially inexhaustible."
Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by Inderscience Publishers.
Wednesday, 15 August 2007
Turbines in Purnim Shire OK on plans
Warrnambool Standard
Wednesday 15/8/2007 Page: 11
A $63 MILLION wind farm will be developed in Purnim after Moyne Shire yesterday approved the project - the closest to Warrnambool. The Drysdale Wind Farm will span 800 hectares of grazing property about 17 kilometres north-east of Warrnambool. A condition of the development's approval included the installation of two water tanks on either side of the farm for firefighting, after councillors raised concerns about fire protection on the site at a hearing last month.
Wind Farm Developments said the 29.9 megawatt project would power about 17,000 homes, contribute three per cent of Victoria's Renewable Energy Target and offset more than 90,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year - the equivalent of taking 21,000 cars off the road. Purnim resident John Howard objected to the plans, telling councillors yesterday the wind farm would significantly affect his farming operation. It would have implications for the location of two radio towers near his home (now before the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal) and affect any future relocation of his home.
Moyne planning approvals manager Russell Guest said there was leeway to move the radio towers toward the turbines because they currently did not stand at the minimum agreed distance. Cr Bruce Couch said he wanted greater turbine buffer zones and he had concerns about the possible impact on yellow-tailed black cockatoos. However, the farm received support after councillors were reassured that water tanks for firefighting purposes would be installed on the site.
Wednesday 15/8/2007 Page: 11
A $63 MILLION wind farm will be developed in Purnim after Moyne Shire yesterday approved the project - the closest to Warrnambool. The Drysdale Wind Farm will span 800 hectares of grazing property about 17 kilometres north-east of Warrnambool. A condition of the development's approval included the installation of two water tanks on either side of the farm for firefighting, after councillors raised concerns about fire protection on the site at a hearing last month.
Wind Farm Developments said the 29.9 megawatt project would power about 17,000 homes, contribute three per cent of Victoria's Renewable Energy Target and offset more than 90,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year - the equivalent of taking 21,000 cars off the road. Purnim resident John Howard objected to the plans, telling councillors yesterday the wind farm would significantly affect his farming operation. It would have implications for the location of two radio towers near his home (now before the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal) and affect any future relocation of his home.
Moyne planning approvals manager Russell Guest said there was leeway to move the radio towers toward the turbines because they currently did not stand at the minimum agreed distance. Cr Bruce Couch said he wanted greater turbine buffer zones and he had concerns about the possible impact on yellow-tailed black cockatoos. However, the farm received support after councillors were reassured that water tanks for firefighting purposes would be installed on the site.
Huge China wind deal
Hobart Mercury
Wednesday 15/8/2007 Page: 9
TASMANIAN energy company Roaring 40s is to help build one of the biggest wind farms in the world after striking a deal with one of China's largest energy generators. The Tasmanian company will be involved in the construction of a 1000MW wind farm in the Jilin Province, China. Roaring 40s recently signed a Joint Development Agreement with the China Datang Corporation. Tasmania's Energy Minister David Llewellyn said the project would develop more wind energy than Australia's entire installed wind energy capacity and that it confirmed Roaring 40s as the leading foreign wind energy developer in China.
"This will be the seventh wind energy development that Roaring 40s is involved with in China and. with that country serious about its adoption of large scale renewable energy technology, it's expected there will be more opportunities in the future." Mr Llewellyn said. The first stage of the development will commence early next year. This one stage will supply enough energy for almost one million hones and offset more than a million tonnes of CO2 every year. Roaring 40s is expected to start work on the $250 million Musselroe Bay wind farm in Tasmania also early next year.
Wednesday 15/8/2007 Page: 9
TASMANIAN energy company Roaring 40s is to help build one of the biggest wind farms in the world after striking a deal with one of China's largest energy generators. The Tasmanian company will be involved in the construction of a 1000MW wind farm in the Jilin Province, China. Roaring 40s recently signed a Joint Development Agreement with the China Datang Corporation. Tasmania's Energy Minister David Llewellyn said the project would develop more wind energy than Australia's entire installed wind energy capacity and that it confirmed Roaring 40s as the leading foreign wind energy developer in China.
"This will be the seventh wind energy development that Roaring 40s is involved with in China and. with that country serious about its adoption of large scale renewable energy technology, it's expected there will be more opportunities in the future." Mr Llewellyn said. The first stage of the development will commence early next year. This one stage will supply enough energy for almost one million hones and offset more than a million tonnes of CO2 every year. Roaring 40s is expected to start work on the $250 million Musselroe Bay wind farm in Tasmania also early next year.
Govt report on warming a failure, scientist says
Canberra Times
Wednesday 15/8/2007 Page: 7
The Federal Government should boost investment in renewable energy and ban building new coalfired power stations in Australia if it intends to take climate change seriously, a leading energy scientist has said. Dr Mark Diesendorf, director of the University of New South Wales's sustainability centre, described a new report by the House of Representatives science and innovation committee on carbon capture and storage technologies as "a failure of nerve" in tackling Australia's contribution to global warming.
The committee "clearly lacked the courage to make the obvious recommendation" from the majority of evidence presented to them, he said. "There is a huge gap in this report - a missing recommendation. There should be no more coal-fired power stations built in Australia - that's the logical recommendation they should have made." Research showed Australia could cut CO2, emissions from stationary sources, such as coal-fired power stations, by 50 per cent by using existing renewable energy technologies with small improvements".
The parliamentary report, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, says carbon capture and storage has the potential to reduce the negative impact of man-made greenhouse gas emissions and recommends building large-scale demonstration projects to test technologies. It said most of the technology was already known and available, but there was a lack of experience in developing them to the commercial scale required. It recommended Australia build a pilot plant to demonstrate all aspects of the process from coal conversion, carbon capture, treatment, transport and burial underground.
Dr Diesendorf said a large-scale carbon-capture demonstration plant would cost billions compared to the comparatively small investments needed to roll out renewable energies. "Such a large-scale plant is the province of super-powers. It is a delusion of grandeur and a waste of money. We have renewable technologies like wind, solar and hot rocks geothermal that are proven and available now." Boosting government investment in renewable energy would also create thousands of new jobs in regional towns across Australia.
The chairman of the House of Representatives science and innovation committee, Liberal backbencher Petro Georgiou, said a carbon-constrained world would have a huge impact on Australia's ability to benefit from coal exports and relatively cheap electricity. "As the production of energy from coal creates significant greenhouse gas emissions, it is important that Australia pursues CCS [carbon capture and storage technology] as a means of reducing carbon dioxide emissions and ensuring Australia's prosperity in the future."
The committee's report has been attacked by four Coalition politicians, all members of the science committee, who issued a dissenting statement claiming it contained misleading information about the causes of climate change. The four MPs - Dennis Jensen, Jackie Kelly, Danna Vale and David Tollner - embarrassed Prince Minister John Howard by declaring they were climate-change sceptics. They claimed man-made climate change was a myth because "global warming [was] observed on other planets" such as Pluto, Neptune and Jupiter. Mr Howard has distanced himself, telling Parliament he did not agree with the group's statements.
Wednesday 15/8/2007 Page: 7
The Federal Government should boost investment in renewable energy and ban building new coalfired power stations in Australia if it intends to take climate change seriously, a leading energy scientist has said. Dr Mark Diesendorf, director of the University of New South Wales's sustainability centre, described a new report by the House of Representatives science and innovation committee on carbon capture and storage technologies as "a failure of nerve" in tackling Australia's contribution to global warming.
The committee "clearly lacked the courage to make the obvious recommendation" from the majority of evidence presented to them, he said. "There is a huge gap in this report - a missing recommendation. There should be no more coal-fired power stations built in Australia - that's the logical recommendation they should have made." Research showed Australia could cut CO2, emissions from stationary sources, such as coal-fired power stations, by 50 per cent by using existing renewable energy technologies with small improvements".
The parliamentary report, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, says carbon capture and storage has the potential to reduce the negative impact of man-made greenhouse gas emissions and recommends building large-scale demonstration projects to test technologies. It said most of the technology was already known and available, but there was a lack of experience in developing them to the commercial scale required. It recommended Australia build a pilot plant to demonstrate all aspects of the process from coal conversion, carbon capture, treatment, transport and burial underground.
Dr Diesendorf said a large-scale carbon-capture demonstration plant would cost billions compared to the comparatively small investments needed to roll out renewable energies. "Such a large-scale plant is the province of super-powers. It is a delusion of grandeur and a waste of money. We have renewable technologies like wind, solar and hot rocks geothermal that are proven and available now." Boosting government investment in renewable energy would also create thousands of new jobs in regional towns across Australia.
The chairman of the House of Representatives science and innovation committee, Liberal backbencher Petro Georgiou, said a carbon-constrained world would have a huge impact on Australia's ability to benefit from coal exports and relatively cheap electricity. "As the production of energy from coal creates significant greenhouse gas emissions, it is important that Australia pursues CCS [carbon capture and storage technology] as a means of reducing carbon dioxide emissions and ensuring Australia's prosperity in the future."
The committee's report has been attacked by four Coalition politicians, all members of the science committee, who issued a dissenting statement claiming it contained misleading information about the causes of climate change. The four MPs - Dennis Jensen, Jackie Kelly, Danna Vale and David Tollner - embarrassed Prince Minister John Howard by declaring they were climate-change sceptics. They claimed man-made climate change was a myth because "global warming [was] observed on other planets" such as Pluto, Neptune and Jupiter. Mr Howard has distanced himself, telling Parliament he did not agree with the group's statements.
A town with grand ambitions
Condobolin Argus
Wednesday 8/8/2007 Page: 3
Condobolin is actively working towards combating global warming, greenhouse emissions and climate change. As part of a leading edge initiative, people in and around the town should in future also be able to assist our city-neighbours with their carbon trading requirements and provide them with an energy source not based on fossil fuels. In a recent presentation to Penrith City Council, Chairman of the Lachlan Renewable Energy Alliance (LREA), David Hall, explained how Lachlan Shire's land resources could be used to benefit our town as well as the global environment.
Based on 20 years of research by Peter Milthorpe, former Senior Research Agronomist with the DPI, the LREA is investigating growing mallee and harvesting it regularly as an energy and oil resource. The initiative presents significant possibilities for Lachlan Shire which covers over 15,000 square kilometers. "Around ninety percent of the land is cleared for cropping and grazing" said David. "If 5% of the cleared landscape were planted to mallee, there would be over 280 million trees. These trees would be harvested every 12 to 18 months to produce 1.8 million tonnes of biomass. As an energy resource, this would be sufficient to power up tens of thousands of homes with electricity each year."
"One of the things we talked to the Penrith Councilors about was that the farmers here have the land which is needed for the solution to providing carbon offsets", outlined David. "Carbon credits could prove to be a small bonus to farmers. In addition to revenues from oil and biomass, there should be extra margins available for farmers from sales into the carbon market - making mallee growing even more attractive as a potential new source of a more sustainable income." "We've a potential product here that produces energy that can be burned to produce electricity," says David. "The plants are harvested providing a regular income, but the beauty is that re-planting is unnecessary".
It is only the young regrowth which is regularly harvested and the root system remains intact storing away small amounts of carbon each year as it continues to grow and develop." The biomass created can be pelletised into a burnable "Biofuel" and the eucalypt oil is sold off. Both of these processes occur with very low emissions. The LREA is now well into stage one of their project, which is the creation of an initial business plan. The draft plan is expected to be completed by early September.
Wednesday 8/8/2007 Page: 3
Condobolin is actively working towards combating global warming, greenhouse emissions and climate change. As part of a leading edge initiative, people in and around the town should in future also be able to assist our city-neighbours with their carbon trading requirements and provide them with an energy source not based on fossil fuels. In a recent presentation to Penrith City Council, Chairman of the Lachlan Renewable Energy Alliance (LREA), David Hall, explained how Lachlan Shire's land resources could be used to benefit our town as well as the global environment.
Based on 20 years of research by Peter Milthorpe, former Senior Research Agronomist with the DPI, the LREA is investigating growing mallee and harvesting it regularly as an energy and oil resource. The initiative presents significant possibilities for Lachlan Shire which covers over 15,000 square kilometers. "Around ninety percent of the land is cleared for cropping and grazing" said David. "If 5% of the cleared landscape were planted to mallee, there would be over 280 million trees. These trees would be harvested every 12 to 18 months to produce 1.8 million tonnes of biomass. As an energy resource, this would be sufficient to power up tens of thousands of homes with electricity each year."
"One of the things we talked to the Penrith Councilors about was that the farmers here have the land which is needed for the solution to providing carbon offsets", outlined David. "Carbon credits could prove to be a small bonus to farmers. In addition to revenues from oil and biomass, there should be extra margins available for farmers from sales into the carbon market - making mallee growing even more attractive as a potential new source of a more sustainable income." "We've a potential product here that produces energy that can be burned to produce electricity," says David. "The plants are harvested providing a regular income, but the beauty is that re-planting is unnecessary".
It is only the young regrowth which is regularly harvested and the root system remains intact storing away small amounts of carbon each year as it continues to grow and develop." The biomass created can be pelletised into a burnable "Biofuel" and the eucalypt oil is sold off. Both of these processes occur with very low emissions. The LREA is now well into stage one of their project, which is the creation of an initial business plan. The draft plan is expected to be completed by early September.
Tuesday, 14 August 2007
Wind farm urged
Warrnambool Standard
Tuesday 14/8/2007 Page: 3
PLANS for a 13-turbine wind farm near Purnim have the backing of Moyne Shire officers. At a meeting in Port Fairy today, councillors will vote on the recommendation that they approve the $63 million project. The development would inject about $70,000 a year in rate revenue for the shire.
A report on the agenda makes no mention of councillors' concerns, aired last month, which included the amount of firefighting equipment based on the 800ha property. The proposed 29.9-megawatt wind farm falls under the shire's planning authority and not the Victorian Government's. Also on today's agenda are recommendations to refuse several permits to build residential homes or subdivide farming land.
Tuesday 14/8/2007 Page: 3
PLANS for a 13-turbine wind farm near Purnim have the backing of Moyne Shire officers. At a meeting in Port Fairy today, councillors will vote on the recommendation that they approve the $63 million project. The development would inject about $70,000 a year in rate revenue for the shire.
A report on the agenda makes no mention of councillors' concerns, aired last month, which included the amount of firefighting equipment based on the 800ha property. The proposed 29.9-megawatt wind farm falls under the shire's planning authority and not the Victorian Government's. Also on today's agenda are recommendations to refuse several permits to build residential homes or subdivide farming land.
WMO highlights world of weird weather
www.environmental-finance.com
London, 9 August:
Record extremes of climate and weather events have been recorded around the world since the beginning of 2007, according to the World Meteorological Organization. In a press notice, the WMO links these weather extremes to climate change, noting that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has said that such events have become more frequent in the last half-century, and the trend looks set to worsen in the next half-century. "Climate change projections indicate it to be very likely that hot extremes, heat waves and heavy precipitation events will continue to become more frequent," the WMO said.
In January and April this year, average land temperatures rose to what are likely the highest level since records began, the WMO said. Temperatures were 1.89°C warmer than average in January, and 1.37°C warmer than average in April. Other examples of extreme weather include the Indian monsoon season. During the first half of the season (June-July), weather stations reported twice the usual number of monsoon depressions, causing heavy rainfall and flooding in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Meanwhile, the first ever documented cyclone in the Arabian Sea made landfall in Oman on 6 June, where it killed 50 people and affected 20,000 more. In China, floods and landsides caused 120 deaths and affected 13.5 million. Meanwhile, England and Wales saw the wettest May-July since records began in 1789, with floods causing nine deaths and at least $6 billion of damages.
Severe flooding also hit Mozambique in February, killing 30 and forcing the evacuation of 120,000 people. Heavy rainfall in Sudan since the end of June caused the Nile to breach its banks and damaged more than 16,000 houses. Uruguay was hit by the worst flooding since 1959 in May, which damaged crops and buildings and affected over 110,000 people. South-eastern Europe, meanwhile, was hit by two extreme heat waves in June and July. Temperatures soared above 40°C, breaking previous records and killing dozens of people. On 23 July, Bulgaria saw temperatures rise to a sweltering 45°C.
London, 9 August:
Record extremes of climate and weather events have been recorded around the world since the beginning of 2007, according to the World Meteorological Organization. In a press notice, the WMO links these weather extremes to climate change, noting that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has said that such events have become more frequent in the last half-century, and the trend looks set to worsen in the next half-century. "Climate change projections indicate it to be very likely that hot extremes, heat waves and heavy precipitation events will continue to become more frequent," the WMO said.
In January and April this year, average land temperatures rose to what are likely the highest level since records began, the WMO said. Temperatures were 1.89°C warmer than average in January, and 1.37°C warmer than average in April. Other examples of extreme weather include the Indian monsoon season. During the first half of the season (June-July), weather stations reported twice the usual number of monsoon depressions, causing heavy rainfall and flooding in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Meanwhile, the first ever documented cyclone in the Arabian Sea made landfall in Oman on 6 June, where it killed 50 people and affected 20,000 more. In China, floods and landsides caused 120 deaths and affected 13.5 million. Meanwhile, England and Wales saw the wettest May-July since records began in 1789, with floods causing nine deaths and at least $6 billion of damages.
Severe flooding also hit Mozambique in February, killing 30 and forcing the evacuation of 120,000 people. Heavy rainfall in Sudan since the end of June caused the Nile to breach its banks and damaged more than 16,000 houses. Uruguay was hit by the worst flooding since 1959 in May, which damaged crops and buildings and affected over 110,000 people. South-eastern Europe, meanwhile, was hit by two extreme heat waves in June and July. Temperatures soared above 40°C, breaking previous records and killing dozens of people. On 23 July, Bulgaria saw temperatures rise to a sweltering 45°C.
Monday, 13 August 2007
Gas, wind farms to be sold
Courier Mail
Saturday 11/8/2007 Page: 69
THE State Government has put Enertrade's gas business and five wind farms on the market to help fund its proposed $300 million Queensland Climate Change Fund.
State-owned power generators Stanwell and Tarong own the wind farms, with Stanwell holding the Windy Hill farm near Ravenshoe in north Queensland, another operation at Toora in Victoria and 50 percent of Emu Downs, 200km north of Perth in Western Australia. Tarong owns the Starfish Hill on the Fleurieu Peninsula and the Mount Millar wind farm on the Eyre Peninsula, both in South Australia.
Enertrade's gas business includes the North Queensland Gas Pipeline that transports coal seam gas from Moranbah to Townsville and a right to build another line, from Moranbah to Gladstone. Enertrade's gas business also includes the Moranbah gas processing plant and a portfolio of gas purchase, transport and supply contracts.
The wind farms are likely to be attractive to the likes of Babcock and Brown Wind Partners and other alternative energy suppliers while APA Group will no doubt look at the existing pipeline and the Gladstone right of way. Expressions of interest in Enertrade are due in early September and final bids will be required by late October.
The Government said yesterday the opportunity to build the Central Queensland Gas Pipeline could be sold with Enertrade's merchant gas business or with its other pipeline.
Saturday 11/8/2007 Page: 69
THE State Government has put Enertrade's gas business and five wind farms on the market to help fund its proposed $300 million Queensland Climate Change Fund.State-owned power generators Stanwell and Tarong own the wind farms, with Stanwell holding the Windy Hill farm near Ravenshoe in north Queensland, another operation at Toora in Victoria and 50 percent of Emu Downs, 200km north of Perth in Western Australia. Tarong owns the Starfish Hill on the Fleurieu Peninsula and the Mount Millar wind farm on the Eyre Peninsula, both in South Australia.
Enertrade's gas business includes the North Queensland Gas Pipeline that transports coal seam gas from Moranbah to Townsville and a right to build another line, from Moranbah to Gladstone. Enertrade's gas business also includes the Moranbah gas processing plant and a portfolio of gas purchase, transport and supply contracts.
The wind farms are likely to be attractive to the likes of Babcock and Brown Wind Partners and other alternative energy suppliers while APA Group will no doubt look at the existing pipeline and the Gladstone right of way. Expressions of interest in Enertrade are due in early September and final bids will be required by late October.
The Government said yesterday the opportunity to build the Central Queensland Gas Pipeline could be sold with Enertrade's merchant gas business or with its other pipeline.
Carbon dated: expert
Newcastle Herald
Saturday 11/8/2007 Page: 24
PUSHING on with coal-fired power would be a grave mistake for the Hunter, an expert warned yesterday. Professor Peter Droege, a conjoint professor at the University of Newcastle and chairman of the World Council for Renewable Energy Asia Pacific, said there was no economic justification for coal.
Its continued use was merely the product of an alliance between coal interests and political leaders. The Sydney-based professor, who was in Newcastle to speak to business leaders and professionals in City Hall, said converting to renewable energy would lead to economic, social and environmental gains. Most of all, it would benefit employment.
"It's been shown in the US and also in Europe that for each job lost in the coal sector, you gain three jobs in the renewable sector," Professor Droege said outside City Hall. It doesn't take many people to run a coal-fired power station plant or a coalmine. "It's mostly mechanised... the employment potential is very low." Renewable energy offered more and higher-skilled jobs.
Australia's dependence on fossil fuel would lead inevitably to the country lagging in technological innovation. More money would have to be invested to make the commercial, residential and industrial energy sectors efficient, which could halve energy requirements. Professor Droege said the Hunter had ample opportunity to supply itself with power produced in the region from renewable sources such as wind, biofuel and solar power, which could happen in the next 20 years.
Nature offsets globe warming
NATURAL weather variations have offset the effects of global warming for the past couple of years and will continue to keep temperatures flat through 2008, a new study shows. But global warming will begin in earnest in 2009, and a couple of the years between 2009 and 2014 will eclipse 1998, the warmest year on record, in the heat stakes, British meteorologists said. The study used data on the ocean and the atmosphere to generate forecasts of climate change. AFP
Saturday 11/8/2007 Page: 24
PUSHING on with coal-fired power would be a grave mistake for the Hunter, an expert warned yesterday. Professor Peter Droege, a conjoint professor at the University of Newcastle and chairman of the World Council for Renewable Energy Asia Pacific, said there was no economic justification for coal.
Its continued use was merely the product of an alliance between coal interests and political leaders. The Sydney-based professor, who was in Newcastle to speak to business leaders and professionals in City Hall, said converting to renewable energy would lead to economic, social and environmental gains. Most of all, it would benefit employment.
"It's been shown in the US and also in Europe that for each job lost in the coal sector, you gain three jobs in the renewable sector," Professor Droege said outside City Hall. It doesn't take many people to run a coal-fired power station plant or a coalmine. "It's mostly mechanised... the employment potential is very low." Renewable energy offered more and higher-skilled jobs.
Australia's dependence on fossil fuel would lead inevitably to the country lagging in technological innovation. More money would have to be invested to make the commercial, residential and industrial energy sectors efficient, which could halve energy requirements. Professor Droege said the Hunter had ample opportunity to supply itself with power produced in the region from renewable sources such as wind, biofuel and solar power, which could happen in the next 20 years.
Nature offsets globe warming
NATURAL weather variations have offset the effects of global warming for the past couple of years and will continue to keep temperatures flat through 2008, a new study shows. But global warming will begin in earnest in 2009, and a couple of the years between 2009 and 2014 will eclipse 1998, the warmest year on record, in the heat stakes, British meteorologists said. The study used data on the ocean and the atmosphere to generate forecasts of climate change. AFP
Tsars of alternative energy
Australian Financial Review
Saturday 11/8/2007 Page: 22
While the Republic Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has made the US state a magnet for clean energy entrepreneurs and sees the industry as a great economic opportunity, the Australian government still believes any efforts to tackle global warming will cripple economic growth. But even though some sustainable power experts, such as former Sydney University scientist David Mills, have moved to the US, there are still people and businesses in Australia with a vision similar to the California governor's. Success is far from guaranteed in the pursuit of alternative energy, however. But there have been some interesting developments of new technologies, including one by Sylvia Tulloch's company Dyesol, which uses light focused on a titania pigment and a ruthenium dye to produce electricity.
Several companies are on the hunt for a commercially viable way of producing electricity from hot dry rocks beneath the earth's surface, a source that Geoscience Australia estimates could supply 25,000 times the electricity Australia uses now. The biggest of these companies, Geodynamics, is aiming to complete a large-scale demonstration plant within five years. Carnegie Corp is working away at commercial realisation of its goal of generating electricity from wave energy. While the idea is not new, the company is using an innovative approach discovered by West Australian inventor Alan Burns in 1975.
Michael Ottaviano, Carnegie's managing director, is aiming to establish the commercial deployment of the technology, called CETO. Ottaviano says there are sites available for such a project around Australia's coast. He is also seeking to use the wave-generated electricity to help run a desalination plant, such as the planned WA and Victorian plants, or BHP Billiton's possible desalination plant for supplying its huge Roxby Downs mine in South Australia. The potential of the technology is good enough for the federal government, which has provided a minor research and development grant, to lay an indirect claim on it in the title of a report unveiled by Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane.
Another group working on a technology with good potential is the solar energy team at the Australian National University. In 2000, Andrew Blakers and Klaus Weber thought of finding ways to slice the silicon used in photovoltaic cells in such a way as to expose a bigger surface area to sunlight. Origin Energy is now working with them to help develop the idea, now called solar sliver technology.
At Victor Smorgon Group's Energetix, humble algae are hoping to provide a new alternative to energy production. Peter Edwards, managing director of the group, reveals algae can produce considerably more biodiesel than canola, and far more than palm oil. He should know - Energetix already makes biodiesel at a plant in Victoria. Edwards says Energetix is spending significant amounts of money on a profitable commercial development of algae-based biodiesel.
Saturday 11/8/2007 Page: 22
While the Republic Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has made the US state a magnet for clean energy entrepreneurs and sees the industry as a great economic opportunity, the Australian government still believes any efforts to tackle global warming will cripple economic growth. But even though some sustainable power experts, such as former Sydney University scientist David Mills, have moved to the US, there are still people and businesses in Australia with a vision similar to the California governor's. Success is far from guaranteed in the pursuit of alternative energy, however. But there have been some interesting developments of new technologies, including one by Sylvia Tulloch's company Dyesol, which uses light focused on a titania pigment and a ruthenium dye to produce electricity.
Several companies are on the hunt for a commercially viable way of producing electricity from hot dry rocks beneath the earth's surface, a source that Geoscience Australia estimates could supply 25,000 times the electricity Australia uses now. The biggest of these companies, Geodynamics, is aiming to complete a large-scale demonstration plant within five years. Carnegie Corp is working away at commercial realisation of its goal of generating electricity from wave energy. While the idea is not new, the company is using an innovative approach discovered by West Australian inventor Alan Burns in 1975.
Michael Ottaviano, Carnegie's managing director, is aiming to establish the commercial deployment of the technology, called CETO. Ottaviano says there are sites available for such a project around Australia's coast. He is also seeking to use the wave-generated electricity to help run a desalination plant, such as the planned WA and Victorian plants, or BHP Billiton's possible desalination plant for supplying its huge Roxby Downs mine in South Australia. The potential of the technology is good enough for the federal government, which has provided a minor research and development grant, to lay an indirect claim on it in the title of a report unveiled by Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane.
Another group working on a technology with good potential is the solar energy team at the Australian National University. In 2000, Andrew Blakers and Klaus Weber thought of finding ways to slice the silicon used in photovoltaic cells in such a way as to expose a bigger surface area to sunlight. Origin Energy is now working with them to help develop the idea, now called solar sliver technology.
At Victor Smorgon Group's Energetix, humble algae are hoping to provide a new alternative to energy production. Peter Edwards, managing director of the group, reveals algae can produce considerably more biodiesel than canola, and far more than palm oil. He should know - Energetix already makes biodiesel at a plant in Victoria. Edwards says Energetix is spending significant amounts of money on a profitable commercial development of algae-based biodiesel.
Renewable power gets more nods
Courier Mail
Monday 13/8/2007 Page: 11
QUARTERLY sales figures for green power show ordinary Australians are voting with their wallets to pay for clean electricity. In the past year, green power sales had grown 47 per cent, said Australian Conservation Foundation climate change campaigner Tony Mohr. In Queensland, the number of green power customers had gone up 40 per cent in 12 months. "At the same time both major parties have failed to expand Australia's paltry 2 per cent renewable energy target," Mr Mohr said.
When people choose accredited green power, their energy retailer is obliged to source the equivalent amount of electricity from renewable sources such as wind and solar. The figures show 565,977 ordinary Australians are buying green power - collectively preventing almost 4.2 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions entering the atmosphere annually.
Monday 13/8/2007 Page: 11
QUARTERLY sales figures for green power show ordinary Australians are voting with their wallets to pay for clean electricity. In the past year, green power sales had grown 47 per cent, said Australian Conservation Foundation climate change campaigner Tony Mohr. In Queensland, the number of green power customers had gone up 40 per cent in 12 months. "At the same time both major parties have failed to expand Australia's paltry 2 per cent renewable energy target," Mr Mohr said.
When people choose accredited green power, their energy retailer is obliged to source the equivalent amount of electricity from renewable sources such as wind and solar. The figures show 565,977 ordinary Australians are buying green power - collectively preventing almost 4.2 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions entering the atmosphere annually.
Friday, 10 August 2007
Clean Energy group meets with Peter Garrett and Mike Kelly
Narooma News
08/08/2007 Page: 7
Clean Energy for Eternity groups from the Shoalhaven to the Snowy River had an opportunity to sit down and talk with Shadow Minister for the Environment and the Arts, Peter Garrett and ALP candidate for Eden-Monaro, Mike Kelly. It was a timely meeting, as CEFE is in the final stages of preparing a hard-hitting questionnaire for all candidates, seeking concise information on promises, policies and personal views related to their response to climate change.
CEFE is very clearly a non-aligned community group with no affiliation with any political party. However, it is part of our community responsibility to engage political representatives and learn how they can assist us in meeting our collective targets of 50/50 by 2020. We will value the opportunity to talk with Malcolm Turnbull whenever possible and will be making further contact with his office.
We were glad to quiz Peter Garrett on what he'd do if in Government. Garrett mentioned the proposed revolving fund of $10,000 for greenhouse retrofitting of existing homes, but stated the ALP will reveal more detail on its climate policies in the lead up to the election. The lack of detail particularly on the MRET target is delaying investment in the renewable energy industry. The sooner these national targets are in the public domain, the quicker industry can activate millions of dollars worth of investment in tangible solutions to climate change.
Peter Garrett and Mike Kelly showed interest in the concept of CEFE setting up a `centre of excellence' in climate change, though Garrett pointed out that while we are `ahead of the game' there are several regions moving fast on climate change.
Garrett left the meeting inspired by the passionate response our community has had to climate change and encouraging us to continue our efforts to engage practical action at the grass roots. He was impressed by CEFE's ability to take our positive message on climate action out to a wide audience, empowering ordinary people to participate in developing solutions to this global crisis.
CEFE will continue to engage in open dialogue with politicians in the lead-up to the Federal election and push for genuine leadership and a comprehensive national strategy on climate change.
08/08/2007 Page: 7
Clean Energy for Eternity groups from the Shoalhaven to the Snowy River had an opportunity to sit down and talk with Shadow Minister for the Environment and the Arts, Peter Garrett and ALP candidate for Eden-Monaro, Mike Kelly. It was a timely meeting, as CEFE is in the final stages of preparing a hard-hitting questionnaire for all candidates, seeking concise information on promises, policies and personal views related to their response to climate change.CEFE is very clearly a non-aligned community group with no affiliation with any political party. However, it is part of our community responsibility to engage political representatives and learn how they can assist us in meeting our collective targets of 50/50 by 2020. We will value the opportunity to talk with Malcolm Turnbull whenever possible and will be making further contact with his office.
We were glad to quiz Peter Garrett on what he'd do if in Government. Garrett mentioned the proposed revolving fund of $10,000 for greenhouse retrofitting of existing homes, but stated the ALP will reveal more detail on its climate policies in the lead up to the election. The lack of detail particularly on the MRET target is delaying investment in the renewable energy industry. The sooner these national targets are in the public domain, the quicker industry can activate millions of dollars worth of investment in tangible solutions to climate change.
Peter Garrett and Mike Kelly showed interest in the concept of CEFE setting up a `centre of excellence' in climate change, though Garrett pointed out that while we are `ahead of the game' there are several regions moving fast on climate change.
Garrett left the meeting inspired by the passionate response our community has had to climate change and encouraging us to continue our efforts to engage practical action at the grass roots. He was impressed by CEFE's ability to take our positive message on climate action out to a wide audience, empowering ordinary people to participate in developing solutions to this global crisis.
CEFE will continue to engage in open dialogue with politicians in the lead-up to the Federal election and push for genuine leadership and a comprehensive national strategy on climate change.
Clean energy revamp
Australian
08/08/2007 Page: 31
Matthew Warren: Environment writer
Clean energy sector shake-out separates gas and wind from solar and geothermal. Preparations are under way for a national price regime on greenhouse emissions.
AUSTRALIA'S $5 billion clean energy industry has completed a major strategic shake-out that will largely separate gas and wind energy interests from proponents of solar and geothermal energy. The shake-out is seen as readying the clean energy sector for expected substantial growth when a national price on greenhouse emissions kicks in from as early as 2010.
A new clean energy organisation is to be launched on Friday, following six months of protracted negotiations between the industry's three representative bodies. In the new deal, the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) will merge with the Australian Wind Energy Association (Auswind), while the Renewable Energy Generators Forum (REGA) will continue to operate until the federal election, expected in November.
A consolidation has been looming for the fledgling industry, unable to justify three rival organisations competing for membership and representation, with most major clean energy companies in Australia represented on two or more of the former industry groups. The shake-out is expected to evolve into two broad alliances of interests with the new BCSE and Auswind merger campaigning for policies such as Mandatory Renewable Energy Targets to drive immediate investment and installation of low-emissions technologies such as gas and wind.
A second breakaway group likely to emerge from the REGA group is expected to seek greater government investment in accelerating development of emerging technologies such as geothermal energy and large-scale solar. Chief executive of gas giant AGL, Paul Anthony, will chair the new lead organisation, which will be run by former Auswind chief executive Dominique La Fontaine.
BCSE executive director Ric Brazzale resigned last week after founding the organisation's predecessor 10 years ago with a membership that included Origin Energy, Pacific Hydro, BP Solar and Energetics. BCSE was formed in late 2002 with a merger of the Australian EcoGeneration Association (AEA) and the Sustainable Energy Industry Association (SEIA).
REGA chief executive Susan Jeanes has also resigned but will stay on to manage the organisation until the end of the year and is expected to be involved with the development of a geothermal industry group currently under investigation by the industry. REGA's membership also includes AGL, Pacific Hydro and BP Solar as well as geothermal developer Petratherm and Solar Systems, which received a $75 million grant last year to develop its concentrated solar technology near Mildura.
Ms La Fontaine yesterday said it was important that the industry spoke with one voice to deliver the energy solutions needed by the economy in a carbon constrained future. "There is huge growth in electricity generation so we need all the technologies that we have to be able to meet the economic growth. It's not about one technology over another," she said.
Ms La Fontaine said the split between current and emerging clean energy technologies reflected a more natural policy division for the industry rather than one based on the old sections of technology or renewable status: "I think it's a much better position to be in that we can resolve policy and outcomes around that." Energetics managing director Tony Cooper said the new organisation would be more efficient and effective for the industry: "Anything that can provide a focus and a strong voice is welcomed." Australia's infant hot rocks companies already have an informal Australian Geothermal Energy Group, which is investigating whether to expand into a fullblown industry group that may emerge if REGA wraps up at the end of the year.
Petratherm managing director Terry Kallis said the industry, hoping to generate electricity from hot rocks kilometres deep in the earth, wanted to engage all sides of politics: "We will wait and see after (the election) where we head with that."
08/08/2007 Page: 31
Matthew Warren: Environment writer
Clean energy sector shake-out separates gas and wind from solar and geothermal. Preparations are under way for a national price regime on greenhouse emissions.
AUSTRALIA'S $5 billion clean energy industry has completed a major strategic shake-out that will largely separate gas and wind energy interests from proponents of solar and geothermal energy. The shake-out is seen as readying the clean energy sector for expected substantial growth when a national price on greenhouse emissions kicks in from as early as 2010.
A new clean energy organisation is to be launched on Friday, following six months of protracted negotiations between the industry's three representative bodies. In the new deal, the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) will merge with the Australian Wind Energy Association (Auswind), while the Renewable Energy Generators Forum (REGA) will continue to operate until the federal election, expected in November.
A consolidation has been looming for the fledgling industry, unable to justify three rival organisations competing for membership and representation, with most major clean energy companies in Australia represented on two or more of the former industry groups. The shake-out is expected to evolve into two broad alliances of interests with the new BCSE and Auswind merger campaigning for policies such as Mandatory Renewable Energy Targets to drive immediate investment and installation of low-emissions technologies such as gas and wind.
A second breakaway group likely to emerge from the REGA group is expected to seek greater government investment in accelerating development of emerging technologies such as geothermal energy and large-scale solar. Chief executive of gas giant AGL, Paul Anthony, will chair the new lead organisation, which will be run by former Auswind chief executive Dominique La Fontaine.
BCSE executive director Ric Brazzale resigned last week after founding the organisation's predecessor 10 years ago with a membership that included Origin Energy, Pacific Hydro, BP Solar and Energetics. BCSE was formed in late 2002 with a merger of the Australian EcoGeneration Association (AEA) and the Sustainable Energy Industry Association (SEIA).
REGA chief executive Susan Jeanes has also resigned but will stay on to manage the organisation until the end of the year and is expected to be involved with the development of a geothermal industry group currently under investigation by the industry. REGA's membership also includes AGL, Pacific Hydro and BP Solar as well as geothermal developer Petratherm and Solar Systems, which received a $75 million grant last year to develop its concentrated solar technology near Mildura.
Ms La Fontaine yesterday said it was important that the industry spoke with one voice to deliver the energy solutions needed by the economy in a carbon constrained future. "There is huge growth in electricity generation so we need all the technologies that we have to be able to meet the economic growth. It's not about one technology over another," she said.
Ms La Fontaine said the split between current and emerging clean energy technologies reflected a more natural policy division for the industry rather than one based on the old sections of technology or renewable status: "I think it's a much better position to be in that we can resolve policy and outcomes around that." Energetics managing director Tony Cooper said the new organisation would be more efficient and effective for the industry: "Anything that can provide a focus and a strong voice is welcomed." Australia's infant hot rocks companies already have an informal Australian Geothermal Energy Group, which is investigating whether to expand into a fullblown industry group that may emerge if REGA wraps up at the end of the year.
Petratherm managing director Terry Kallis said the industry, hoping to generate electricity from hot rocks kilometres deep in the earth, wanted to engage all sides of politics: "We will wait and see after (the election) where we head with that."
Renewable energy industry neglected
Adelaide Advertiser
08/08/2007 Page: 16
THE Rann Government has a two-faced approach to the environment and renewable energy. On the one hand, it is attempting to take credit for a small boom in sustainable energy projects now happening in South Australia (various hot-rocks developments in the Far North and new wind farms at Hallett, Snowtown, Lake Bonney and, possibly soon, Crystal Brook and Waterloo). On the other hand, it refuses to mandate a renewable energy target.
In fact, the growth in wind-farm construction in SA is being pushed by the New South Wales Mandatory Renewable Energy Target. SA is fortunate in having naturally good wind resources, while NSW is less well endowed. The industry is expecting NSW to buy SA wind electricity to fulfil NSW targets. The Rann Government is spending money on symbolic gestures, such as mini wind turbines and small solar panels on public buildings, while neglecting the potentially huge, but less visible, renewable energy industry.
08/08/2007 Page: 16
THE Rann Government has a two-faced approach to the environment and renewable energy. On the one hand, it is attempting to take credit for a small boom in sustainable energy projects now happening in South Australia (various hot-rocks developments in the Far North and new wind farms at Hallett, Snowtown, Lake Bonney and, possibly soon, Crystal Brook and Waterloo). On the other hand, it refuses to mandate a renewable energy target.
In fact, the growth in wind-farm construction in SA is being pushed by the New South Wales Mandatory Renewable Energy Target. SA is fortunate in having naturally good wind resources, while NSW is less well endowed. The industry is expecting NSW to buy SA wind electricity to fulfil NSW targets. The Rann Government is spending money on symbolic gestures, such as mini wind turbines and small solar panels on public buildings, while neglecting the potentially huge, but less visible, renewable energy industry.
Win for wind farm
Weekly Times
08/08/2007 Page: 2
VICTORIA'S first community-owned wind farm, the Leonards Hill project, has been given the green light by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. The project was approved by the Hepburn Shire Council in February but local opponents took their objections to VCAT. The wind farm will consist of two 70-metre wind turbines 10km south of Daylesford, which will generate enough energy to supply 2000 homes.
08/08/2007 Page: 2
VICTORIA'S first community-owned wind farm, the Leonards Hill project, has been given the green light by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. The project was approved by the Hepburn Shire Council in February but local opponents took their objections to VCAT. The wind farm will consist of two 70-metre wind turbines 10km south of Daylesford, which will generate enough energy to supply 2000 homes.
Wind turbines are go
Hepburn Shire Advocate
08/08/2007 Page: 2
THE controversial Leonards Hill wind farm will go ahead after the Victorian Civil and Administrative Appeals Tribunal last week gave it the green light after a two-month hearing in Melbourne. Hepburn Shire Council approved Australia's first community wind farm in February despite 18 objections. The objectors took the case to VCAT. The $8 million project also received more than 300 positive submissions.
The VCAT report said there would be a significant impact on people involved no matter which outcome was reached and found the proposal had caused community divisions. Melbourne-based company Future Energy is developing the project in partnership with Hepburn Renewable Energy Association. The project will consist of two two-megawatt 68-metre turbines built on a farm on the Ballan-Daylesford Rd that the company said would produce enough energy for more than 2000 homes. Noise from the wind farm will comply with prescribed standards.
HREA committee president Per Bernard said: "It's clear from the VCAT decision that Future Energy prepared a very comprehensive application covering all the environmental and amenity issues. "It gives us a lot of confidence that we can continue working together to complete this great community project," he said. Future Energy's managing director David Shapero was delighted with the decision. "We'd like to thank everyone who supported the application. "This project is already an inspiration to communities across Australia and we think it will prove to be the first of many community-owned renewable energy projects.".
Mayor David Smith said, while the council understood the objectors' views, under the planning and environment act planning applications had to be determined on their planning merits. "VCAT has confirmed that council's decision to grant a permit was correct," he said. Mr Shapero couldn't put a date on when construction would start. He said: "This is a magnificent milestone but there's a lot of work still to be done before we start the fund raising process." Sustainability Victoria has allocated $975,000 for the wind farm.
08/08/2007 Page: 2
THE controversial Leonards Hill wind farm will go ahead after the Victorian Civil and Administrative Appeals Tribunal last week gave it the green light after a two-month hearing in Melbourne. Hepburn Shire Council approved Australia's first community wind farm in February despite 18 objections. The objectors took the case to VCAT. The $8 million project also received more than 300 positive submissions.
The VCAT report said there would be a significant impact on people involved no matter which outcome was reached and found the proposal had caused community divisions. Melbourne-based company Future Energy is developing the project in partnership with Hepburn Renewable Energy Association. The project will consist of two two-megawatt 68-metre turbines built on a farm on the Ballan-Daylesford Rd that the company said would produce enough energy for more than 2000 homes. Noise from the wind farm will comply with prescribed standards.
HREA committee president Per Bernard said: "It's clear from the VCAT decision that Future Energy prepared a very comprehensive application covering all the environmental and amenity issues. "It gives us a lot of confidence that we can continue working together to complete this great community project," he said. Future Energy's managing director David Shapero was delighted with the decision. "We'd like to thank everyone who supported the application. "This project is already an inspiration to communities across Australia and we think it will prove to be the first of many community-owned renewable energy projects.".
Mayor David Smith said, while the council understood the objectors' views, under the planning and environment act planning applications had to be determined on their planning merits. "VCAT has confirmed that council's decision to grant a permit was correct," he said. Mr Shapero couldn't put a date on when construction would start. He said: "This is a magnificent milestone but there's a lot of work still to be done before we start the fund raising process." Sustainability Victoria has allocated $975,000 for the wind farm.
Demand to increase
Hepburn Shire Advocate
08/08/2007 Page: 2
THE Victorian Government's energy planning body VENCorp predicts wind energy will provide 23 per cent of its installed generating capacity and that wind energy will provide 88 megawatts of power in summer periods of high electricity demand, with the figure increasing to 285 megawatts in 2009-2010. The State Government wants renewable energy to meet 10 percent of Victoria's annual electricity consumption by 2010, according to VENCorp.
08/08/2007 Page: 2
THE Victorian Government's energy planning body VENCorp predicts wind energy will provide 23 per cent of its installed generating capacity and that wind energy will provide 88 megawatts of power in summer periods of high electricity demand, with the figure increasing to 285 megawatts in 2009-2010. The State Government wants renewable energy to meet 10 percent of Victoria's annual electricity consumption by 2010, according to VENCorp.
Tapping the ocean to quench a thirst
Australian Financial Review
09/08/2007 Page: 16
Perth's first desalination plant opened in April this year, and now contributes 17 percent of the city's water supply, at a time when water supplies were being squeezed by long-term drought and below average rainfall, pushing metropolitan dams to historically low levels. Encouraged by the success of the first desalination plant in Kwinana, the WA government recently announced plans to build a second plant at Binningup.
This sparked protests from local residents, who called for the plant to be built at Kemerton, inland from Binningup, but Water Corporation chairman Jim Gill says studies showed that putting the plant at the Kemerton Industrial Park was not feasible. Gill says it was vital to move away from reliance on dams, given it was uncertain when or if the fall in inflows to dams would end.
09/08/2007 Page: 16
Perth's first desalination plant opened in April this year, and now contributes 17 percent of the city's water supply, at a time when water supplies were being squeezed by long-term drought and below average rainfall, pushing metropolitan dams to historically low levels. Encouraged by the success of the first desalination plant in Kwinana, the WA government recently announced plans to build a second plant at Binningup.
This sparked protests from local residents, who called for the plant to be built at Kemerton, inland from Binningup, but Water Corporation chairman Jim Gill says studies showed that putting the plant at the Kemerton Industrial Park was not feasible. Gill says it was vital to move away from reliance on dams, given it was uncertain when or if the fall in inflows to dams would end.
Tuesday, 7 August 2007
E.ON to invest €3 billion in renewables
www.environmental-finance.com
Updated 03 August 2007
London, 2 August: E.On is to expand its renewable energy activities, investing €3 billion ($4.1 billion) by 2010, mainly in offshore wind, it announced on Tuesday. This is up from €1 billion ($1.4 billion) in last year's investment plan. By 2010, the Germany-based utility company aims to commission more than 500MW of new capacity, more than doubling its existing installed capacity of approximately 400MW. A new business will be established to manage all of its renewable energy activities, as well as E.On's long-term sourcing of carbon credits to help it meet its targets under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.
The future renewables and climate protection unit will be headed by Frank Mastiaux, who is currently responsible for BP's global liquefied petroleum gas business in London. "We believe that by bringing the group's expertise together in one unit, we can execute this investment plan more swiftly and effectively by making more efficient use of the resources we have in the E.On Group," said Sabine Hower, spokeswoman for E.On. She did not specify in which countries E.On plans to build renewable capacity, except that it would target markets with "significant growth potential" and an "attractive and stable incentive system".
One of the offshore wind energy projects planned by E.On will be among the largest wind farms in the world – the London Array in the Thames estuary – with a capacity of about 1,000 MW and which E.On is developing with Shell WindEnergy and Denmark's DONG Energy. The new unit, which is expected to be operational by the beginning of 2008, will play a key role in achieving E.On's target of halving its carbon dioxide emissions from 1990 levels by 2030, reducing the carbon intensity of its power generation portfolio to 0.36 tonnes/MWh.
Updated 03 August 2007
London, 2 August: E.On is to expand its renewable energy activities, investing €3 billion ($4.1 billion) by 2010, mainly in offshore wind, it announced on Tuesday. This is up from €1 billion ($1.4 billion) in last year's investment plan. By 2010, the Germany-based utility company aims to commission more than 500MW of new capacity, more than doubling its existing installed capacity of approximately 400MW. A new business will be established to manage all of its renewable energy activities, as well as E.On's long-term sourcing of carbon credits to help it meet its targets under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.
The future renewables and climate protection unit will be headed by Frank Mastiaux, who is currently responsible for BP's global liquefied petroleum gas business in London. "We believe that by bringing the group's expertise together in one unit, we can execute this investment plan more swiftly and effectively by making more efficient use of the resources we have in the E.On Group," said Sabine Hower, spokeswoman for E.On. She did not specify in which countries E.On plans to build renewable capacity, except that it would target markets with "significant growth potential" and an "attractive and stable incentive system".
One of the offshore wind energy projects planned by E.On will be among the largest wind farms in the world – the London Array in the Thames estuary – with a capacity of about 1,000 MW and which E.On is developing with Shell WindEnergy and Denmark's DONG Energy. The new unit, which is expected to be operational by the beginning of 2008, will play a key role in achieving E.On's target of halving its carbon dioxide emissions from 1990 levels by 2030, reducing the carbon intensity of its power generation portfolio to 0.36 tonnes/MWh.
US groups fight government funding of coal power plants
www.environmental-finance.com
27 July 2007
New York, 26 July: US environmental groups are suing the government over plans to finance coal-fired power plants, accusing it of failing to account for future greenhouse gas emissions.
The US Department of Agriculture provides low-interest loans to utility cooperatives through its Rural Utilities Service (RUS). But the Sierra Club, Citizens for Clean Energy and the Montana Environmental Information Centre stated in a 20 July suit that this makes no sense, since President Bush has recognised the climate issue, both parties in Congress are working on global warming legislation, and the Supreme Court declared in April that "the harms associated with climate change are serious and well recognised".
Those groups filed a complaint against the RUS in federal court, seeking to stop funding of a 250MW coal-fired plant in Montana. That plant would be constructed by Southwestern Montana Electric Generation & Transmission Cooperative, which supplies local co-ops. The Highwood Generating Station would emit 2.8 million tons of greenhouse gases annually, the plaintiffs say. According to the suit, the RUS violated the National Environmental Policy Act because it decided to fund the plant without assessing environmental impacts and without considering alternatives.
The cooperative does not plan to include carbon capture, but said it would add controls when required, noted Abigail Dillen, attorney with Earthjustice, which is representing the groups. But that could add $33 per megawatt hour (MWh) to the $57/MWh expected cost of power from the $720 million plant, she said, citing a 2007 Massachusetts Institute of Technology study on carbon capture. It could also reduce plant output by 40%.
"The whole point [of the RUS] is to benefit customers with low rates," said Dillen, in Earthjustice's Bozeman, Montana, office. But she pointed out that utility Northwestern Energy recently signed a contract to buy Montana wind energy for $31/MWh, or $42/MWh with "firming" power to augment wind's variable production.
Earthjustice and Sierra Club oppose RUS plans to fund at least seven other coal plants across the US, representing more than 3,400MW. DoA spokesman Jay Fletcher said the department has not yet responded to the suit and would not comment. Southwestern Montana EG&T did not respond to request for comment.
27 July 2007
New York, 26 July: US environmental groups are suing the government over plans to finance coal-fired power plants, accusing it of failing to account for future greenhouse gas emissions.
The US Department of Agriculture provides low-interest loans to utility cooperatives through its Rural Utilities Service (RUS). But the Sierra Club, Citizens for Clean Energy and the Montana Environmental Information Centre stated in a 20 July suit that this makes no sense, since President Bush has recognised the climate issue, both parties in Congress are working on global warming legislation, and the Supreme Court declared in April that "the harms associated with climate change are serious and well recognised".
Those groups filed a complaint against the RUS in federal court, seeking to stop funding of a 250MW coal-fired plant in Montana. That plant would be constructed by Southwestern Montana Electric Generation & Transmission Cooperative, which supplies local co-ops. The Highwood Generating Station would emit 2.8 million tons of greenhouse gases annually, the plaintiffs say. According to the suit, the RUS violated the National Environmental Policy Act because it decided to fund the plant without assessing environmental impacts and without considering alternatives.
The cooperative does not plan to include carbon capture, but said it would add controls when required, noted Abigail Dillen, attorney with Earthjustice, which is representing the groups. But that could add $33 per megawatt hour (MWh) to the $57/MWh expected cost of power from the $720 million plant, she said, citing a 2007 Massachusetts Institute of Technology study on carbon capture. It could also reduce plant output by 40%.
"The whole point [of the RUS] is to benefit customers with low rates," said Dillen, in Earthjustice's Bozeman, Montana, office. But she pointed out that utility Northwestern Energy recently signed a contract to buy Montana wind energy for $31/MWh, or $42/MWh with "firming" power to augment wind's variable production.
Earthjustice and Sierra Club oppose RUS plans to fund at least seven other coal plants across the US, representing more than 3,400MW. DoA spokesman Jay Fletcher said the department has not yet responded to the suit and would not comment. Southwestern Montana EG&T did not respond to request for comment.
Monday, 6 August 2007
US Congress backs wind, solar power
Canberra Times
Monday 6/8/2007 Page: 8
Washington The US House of Representatives has made an unprecedented step toward cutting greenhouse gas emissions as it passed a sweeping energy Bill that requires utilities to produce 15 per cent of their electricity from wind and solar power. The Bill sailed through the House on Saturday on a 241-172 vote, despite fervent opposition from big oil, gas companies and the White House, which has threatened to veto the measure. Remarkably, 26 Republicans crossed party lines to vote for the initiative.
The Bill will have to be reconciled with a Senate version, which passed last June, but is more restrained and emphasises slightly different priorities. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, "Today, the House propelled America's energy policy into the future. This planet is God's creation; we have a moral responsibility to protect it." Ms Pelosi, a Democrat, said it was essential to commit to renewable energy while reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Doing so would help address global warming and snake the country more energy-independent. "It's about our children, about our future, the world in which they live," she said.
A provision in the Bill calls for gradual steps to reduce the role of fossil fuels in generating energy, imposing for the first time a federal standard, tinder which utilities will have to provide 15 per cent of their electricity from wind, solar and other renewable energy sources by 2020. This standard, according to congressional officials, will likely result in a reduction carbon dioxide emissions - a significant contributor to global warming - by 500 million tonnes. The utilities and business interests had argued aggressively against the federal renewables mandate, saying it would raise electricity prices in regions of the country that do not have abundant wind energy.
But environmentalists said the requirement would spur investments in renewable fuels and help address global warming as utilities use less coal. Democratic representative Tom Udall, the provision's co-sponsor, said,"This will save consumers money," maintaining utilities would have to use less high-priced natural gas. He noted that nearly half the states already had a renewable energy mandate for utilities, and if utilities could find enough renewable they could meet part of the requirement through power conservation measures. Power plants account for about a third of US carbon dioxide emissions.
If the best provision of both the Senate and House versions of the Bill are combined, US greenhouse gas emissions would drop a total of 18 per cent by 2030, according to an analysis issued by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. The Senate energy efficiency package, which includes new car efficiency standards, is also projected to reduce US demand for oil by 5.3 million barrels a day in 2030, which is 32 per cent of oil and other liquid fuel imports projected for that year.
Monday 6/8/2007 Page: 8
Washington The US House of Representatives has made an unprecedented step toward cutting greenhouse gas emissions as it passed a sweeping energy Bill that requires utilities to produce 15 per cent of their electricity from wind and solar power. The Bill sailed through the House on Saturday on a 241-172 vote, despite fervent opposition from big oil, gas companies and the White House, which has threatened to veto the measure. Remarkably, 26 Republicans crossed party lines to vote for the initiative.The Bill will have to be reconciled with a Senate version, which passed last June, but is more restrained and emphasises slightly different priorities. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, "Today, the House propelled America's energy policy into the future. This planet is God's creation; we have a moral responsibility to protect it." Ms Pelosi, a Democrat, said it was essential to commit to renewable energy while reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Doing so would help address global warming and snake the country more energy-independent. "It's about our children, about our future, the world in which they live," she said.
A provision in the Bill calls for gradual steps to reduce the role of fossil fuels in generating energy, imposing for the first time a federal standard, tinder which utilities will have to provide 15 per cent of their electricity from wind, solar and other renewable energy sources by 2020. This standard, according to congressional officials, will likely result in a reduction carbon dioxide emissions - a significant contributor to global warming - by 500 million tonnes. The utilities and business interests had argued aggressively against the federal renewables mandate, saying it would raise electricity prices in regions of the country that do not have abundant wind energy.
But environmentalists said the requirement would spur investments in renewable fuels and help address global warming as utilities use less coal. Democratic representative Tom Udall, the provision's co-sponsor, said,"This will save consumers money," maintaining utilities would have to use less high-priced natural gas. He noted that nearly half the states already had a renewable energy mandate for utilities, and if utilities could find enough renewable they could meet part of the requirement through power conservation measures. Power plants account for about a third of US carbon dioxide emissions.
If the best provision of both the Senate and House versions of the Bill are combined, US greenhouse gas emissions would drop a total of 18 per cent by 2030, according to an analysis issued by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. The Senate energy efficiency package, which includes new car efficiency standards, is also projected to reduce US demand for oil by 5.3 million barrels a day in 2030, which is 32 per cent of oil and other liquid fuel imports projected for that year.
Seeds of doubt cast over offset planting
Australian
Monday 6/8/2007 Page: 5
TREE-PLANTING schemes promoted by businesses and rock bands alike to offset carbon emissions do little to combat climate change, according to a think tank. A paper by The Australia Institute released yesterday accuses governments and businesses of exploiting such "fads" to avoid the need for real cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. "By diverting people's funds and attention to projects that are unlikely to reduce emissions significantly in the long term, some offset schemes could ultimately do more harm than good," Christian Downie, the author of the report, said. "Tree-planting is the most popular type of carbon offset promoted in Australia but it is, in fact, the least effective for dealing with climate change.
"The evidence indicates that offsets from renewable energy are the most effective, followed by those from energy efficiency projects, with forestry projects ranked last." The comments are a blow to companies that have supported tree-planting to offset their carbon footprints, including BP, Sainsbury's, British Telecom, Orange, Avis and MTV.
British rock band Coldplay bought 10,000 mango trees for villagers in Karnataka, in India, to offset the greenhouse gases released as a result of the production of their album A Rush of Blood to the Head. Dido, Atomic Kitten, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kylie Minogue, Kevin Keegan and the Rolling Stones have also promoted tree planting schemes. Mr Downie said Australia needed a compulsory accreditation scheme for carbon offset projects. He said there were strong grounds for excluding forestry based offsets from an emissions trading system in Australia, or at least restricting their use.
"Tree-planting, or forestry, cannot secure real, measurable and permanent reductions in greenhouse gas emissions because sooner or later the forest will be felled, burned or destroyed," Mr Downie said. "When (people) buy offsets from a forestry project with their airline ticket, for example, they are actually buying a promise that the immediate emissions from their flight will be gradually offset over the next 100 years. "There can be very little, if any, guarantee that this will actually happen."
Monday 6/8/2007 Page: 5
TREE-PLANTING schemes promoted by businesses and rock bands alike to offset carbon emissions do little to combat climate change, according to a think tank. A paper by The Australia Institute released yesterday accuses governments and businesses of exploiting such "fads" to avoid the need for real cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. "By diverting people's funds and attention to projects that are unlikely to reduce emissions significantly in the long term, some offset schemes could ultimately do more harm than good," Christian Downie, the author of the report, said. "Tree-planting is the most popular type of carbon offset promoted in Australia but it is, in fact, the least effective for dealing with climate change.
"The evidence indicates that offsets from renewable energy are the most effective, followed by those from energy efficiency projects, with forestry projects ranked last." The comments are a blow to companies that have supported tree-planting to offset their carbon footprints, including BP, Sainsbury's, British Telecom, Orange, Avis and MTV.
British rock band Coldplay bought 10,000 mango trees for villagers in Karnataka, in India, to offset the greenhouse gases released as a result of the production of their album A Rush of Blood to the Head. Dido, Atomic Kitten, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kylie Minogue, Kevin Keegan and the Rolling Stones have also promoted tree planting schemes. Mr Downie said Australia needed a compulsory accreditation scheme for carbon offset projects. He said there were strong grounds for excluding forestry based offsets from an emissions trading system in Australia, or at least restricting their use.
"Tree-planting, or forestry, cannot secure real, measurable and permanent reductions in greenhouse gas emissions because sooner or later the forest will be felled, burned or destroyed," Mr Downie said. "When (people) buy offsets from a forestry project with their airline ticket, for example, they are actually buying a promise that the immediate emissions from their flight will be gradually offset over the next 100 years. "There can be very little, if any, guarantee that this will actually happen."
Turning on to turbines
Echo - Bellarine edition
Thursday 2/8/2007 Page: 3
A COMMUNITY-OWNED wind farm could form part of the Bellarine's answer to climate change, according to a Melbourne-based renewable energy company. Future Energy, in association with a local community group, plans to build a community owned wind farm 10km south of Daylesford, after the Hepburn Shire Council approved the proposal earlier this year. The proposal is awaiting a VCAT hearing but director David Shapiro said a similar project could operate on the Bellarine Peninsula. The Hepburn farm will consist of two turbines, each with a 2 megawatt capacity, and will produce enough energy for more than 2000 homes.
"The community then have the opportunity to invest directly in the project by buying shares," Mr Shapiro said. "The energy produced by wind turbines is supplied to the grid and sold to energy retailers and the profit from these energy sales is then distributed to the wind farm owners." Mr Shapiro said members of the public could invest in local wind turbine projects and reap long-term secure returns previously available only to large institutions. "You can also help produce clean energy and reduce pollution by lowering the amount of greenhouse gases," he said.
Mr Shapiro said any new wind turbines on the Bellarine would be about three times the size of the one at Breamlea. "You don't have to put them on the beach, you can put them inland," he said. Mr Shapiro said the local community association was a major driver for the Hepburn project. "They have over 400 members, which is a substantial part of the local population," Mr Shapiro said. "These people got together and decided they wanted to take responsibility for their own energy needs." Community-owned wind farms are popular in Europe and have been in operation since the 1980s.
Mr Shapiro said the company's co-operative model could work for other alternative energy projects, including solar, biofuel and biomass. City of Greater Geelong councillor Jan Farrell said she believed the community wind farm had merit. "Something like that could work out here," Cr Farrell said. "The council doesn't supply electricity but we do act as an advocate on these issues and I think it is worth investigation."
Thursday 2/8/2007 Page: 3
A COMMUNITY-OWNED wind farm could form part of the Bellarine's answer to climate change, according to a Melbourne-based renewable energy company. Future Energy, in association with a local community group, plans to build a community owned wind farm 10km south of Daylesford, after the Hepburn Shire Council approved the proposal earlier this year. The proposal is awaiting a VCAT hearing but director David Shapiro said a similar project could operate on the Bellarine Peninsula. The Hepburn farm will consist of two turbines, each with a 2 megawatt capacity, and will produce enough energy for more than 2000 homes."The community then have the opportunity to invest directly in the project by buying shares," Mr Shapiro said. "The energy produced by wind turbines is supplied to the grid and sold to energy retailers and the profit from these energy sales is then distributed to the wind farm owners." Mr Shapiro said members of the public could invest in local wind turbine projects and reap long-term secure returns previously available only to large institutions. "You can also help produce clean energy and reduce pollution by lowering the amount of greenhouse gases," he said.
Mr Shapiro said any new wind turbines on the Bellarine would be about three times the size of the one at Breamlea. "You don't have to put them on the beach, you can put them inland," he said. Mr Shapiro said the local community association was a major driver for the Hepburn project. "They have over 400 members, which is a substantial part of the local population," Mr Shapiro said. "These people got together and decided they wanted to take responsibility for their own energy needs." Community-owned wind farms are popular in Europe and have been in operation since the 1980s.
Mr Shapiro said the company's co-operative model could work for other alternative energy projects, including solar, biofuel and biomass. City of Greater Geelong councillor Jan Farrell said she believed the community wind farm had merit. "Something like that could work out here," Cr Farrell said. "The council doesn't supply electricity but we do act as an advocate on these issues and I think it is worth investigation."
Road donation
Port Lincoln Times
Thursday 2/8/2007 Page: 6
Cathedral Rocks Wind Farm has donated $2000 to Lower Eyre Peninsula District Council to assist with maintenance and upkeep of the Fishery Bay Road. Facilities manager John Fannin said the money had been allocated through the wind farm's community relations budget, and it was hoped it would become a regular contribution. The dirt road requires frequent grading and maintenance to ensure safe driving conditions.
"We saw the opportunity to help the district council maintain the road and keep it in good order for the general public, local landowners and employees of the wind farm," Mr Fannin said. "It's a way of helping everyone out." Council mayor Max Hill accepted the donation, thanking Mr Fannin for the contribution on behalf of the ratepayers and the council. "(The money) is greatly appreciated and will assist with extra grading during the year," said Mr Hill.
Thursday 2/8/2007 Page: 6
Cathedral Rocks Wind Farm has donated $2000 to Lower Eyre Peninsula District Council to assist with maintenance and upkeep of the Fishery Bay Road. Facilities manager John Fannin said the money had been allocated through the wind farm's community relations budget, and it was hoped it would become a regular contribution. The dirt road requires frequent grading and maintenance to ensure safe driving conditions.
"We saw the opportunity to help the district council maintain the road and keep it in good order for the general public, local landowners and employees of the wind farm," Mr Fannin said. "It's a way of helping everyone out." Council mayor Max Hill accepted the donation, thanking Mr Fannin for the contribution on behalf of the ratepayers and the council. "(The money) is greatly appreciated and will assist with extra grading during the year," said Mr Hill.
Europe watches which way the wind blows
Australian Financial Review
Saturday 4/8/2007 Page: 32
Back in the 1880s George Westinghouse argued that alternating current (AC) lost less power over short distances and thus became the industry standard. Today there is serious argument for building long distance high-voltage direct current (DC) lines as DC has lower losses than AC over distance. A DC grid could cover all of Europe, and ultimately the world, making it possible for the vagaries of wind energy to become part of the base-load and reduce the consumption of fossil fuels for electricity generation.
Such a system is already being built between Scandinavia, the Netherlands and Germany for Norway to sell some of its abundant hydro-electricity to the more heavily populated parts of Europe. Ireland's Airtricity has similar plans to transport its North Sea wind energy to customers throughout northern Europe. Perhaps the Organisation of Electricity Exporting Countries will one day take over from OPEC.
Saturday 4/8/2007 Page: 32
Back in the 1880s George Westinghouse argued that alternating current (AC) lost less power over short distances and thus became the industry standard. Today there is serious argument for building long distance high-voltage direct current (DC) lines as DC has lower losses than AC over distance. A DC grid could cover all of Europe, and ultimately the world, making it possible for the vagaries of wind energy to become part of the base-load and reduce the consumption of fossil fuels for electricity generation.
Such a system is already being built between Scandinavia, the Netherlands and Germany for Norway to sell some of its abundant hydro-electricity to the more heavily populated parts of Europe. Ireland's Airtricity has similar plans to transport its North Sea wind energy to customers throughout northern Europe. Perhaps the Organisation of Electricity Exporting Countries will one day take over from OPEC.
Congress approves taxes on oil firms
Australian
Monday 6/8/2007 Page: 11
WASHINGTON: Declaring a new direction in energy policy, the US House of Representatives approved $US16 billion ($18.6 billion) in taxes on oil companies, while providing billions of dollars in tax breaks and incentives for renewable energy and conservation efforts. Republican opponents said the legislation ignored the need to produce more domestic oil, natural gas and coal. One Republican bemoaned "the pure venom... against the oil and gas industry".
The house passed the tax provisions by a vote of 221-189 late on Saturday. Earlier, it had approved, 241-172, a companion energy package aimed at boosting energy efficiency and expanding use of biofuels, wind energy and other renewable energy sources. "We are turning to the future," said the house's Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The two bills, passed as legislators prepared to leave town for their summer recess, will be merged with legislation passed by the Senate in June.
On one of the most contentious and heavily lobbied issues, the house voted to require investor-owned electric utilities nationwide to generate at least 15 per cent of their electricity from renewable energy sources such as wind or biofuels. The utilities and business interests had argued against the federal renewables mandate, saying it would raise electricity prices in regions of the country that do not have abundant wind energy. But environmentalists said the requirement would spur investments in renewable fuels and help address global warming as utilities use less coal.
"This will save consumers money," said Democrat Tom Udall, the provision's cosponsor, maintaining that utilities would have to use less highpriced natural gas. He noted that nearly half the states already had a renewable energy mandate for utilities, and if utilities could not find enough renewable they could meet part of the requirement through power conservation measures.
The bill also calls for more stringent energy efficiency standards for appliances and lighting and incentives for building more energy-efficient "green" buildings. It would authorise special bonds for cities and counties to reduce energy demand. Ms Pelosi said it was essential to commit to renewable energy while reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Doing so would help address global warming and make the US more energy independent: "It's about our children, about our future, the world in which they live." Democrats avoided a nasty fight by ignoring at least for the time being calls for car manufacturers to make vehicles more fuel-efficient.
Cars, four-wheel-drives and small trucks use most of the country's oil and produce almost one-third of carbon dioxide emissions. That issue, as well as whether to require huge increases in the use of corn-based ethanol as a substitute for petrol, were left to be thrashed out when the house bill is merged with energy legislation the Senate passed in June. But the legislation does end a tax break for buying large 4WDs, known as the "Hummer tax loophole" because it allows people who buy some of the most expensive big cars to write off much of the cost.
Republicans said the house bill did nothing to increase domestic oil and natural gas production or take further advantage of coal, the country's most abundant energy resource. "There's a war going on against energy from fossil fuels," said Republican Ralph Halt, who is from oil-rich Texas. "I can't understand the pure venom felt against the oil and gas industry." Another Texan Republican, Joe Barton, said the bill was "a political exercise" to promote "pet projects (and) pet ideas". The White House indicated that Mr Bush might veto the bill, saying it made "no serious attempts to increase our energy security or address high energy costs" and would harm domestic oil and gas production.
Monday 6/8/2007 Page: 11
WASHINGTON: Declaring a new direction in energy policy, the US House of Representatives approved $US16 billion ($18.6 billion) in taxes on oil companies, while providing billions of dollars in tax breaks and incentives for renewable energy and conservation efforts. Republican opponents said the legislation ignored the need to produce more domestic oil, natural gas and coal. One Republican bemoaned "the pure venom... against the oil and gas industry".
The house passed the tax provisions by a vote of 221-189 late on Saturday. Earlier, it had approved, 241-172, a companion energy package aimed at boosting energy efficiency and expanding use of biofuels, wind energy and other renewable energy sources. "We are turning to the future," said the house's Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The two bills, passed as legislators prepared to leave town for their summer recess, will be merged with legislation passed by the Senate in June.
On one of the most contentious and heavily lobbied issues, the house voted to require investor-owned electric utilities nationwide to generate at least 15 per cent of their electricity from renewable energy sources such as wind or biofuels. The utilities and business interests had argued against the federal renewables mandate, saying it would raise electricity prices in regions of the country that do not have abundant wind energy. But environmentalists said the requirement would spur investments in renewable fuels and help address global warming as utilities use less coal.
"This will save consumers money," said Democrat Tom Udall, the provision's cosponsor, maintaining that utilities would have to use less highpriced natural gas. He noted that nearly half the states already had a renewable energy mandate for utilities, and if utilities could not find enough renewable they could meet part of the requirement through power conservation measures.
The bill also calls for more stringent energy efficiency standards for appliances and lighting and incentives for building more energy-efficient "green" buildings. It would authorise special bonds for cities and counties to reduce energy demand. Ms Pelosi said it was essential to commit to renewable energy while reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Doing so would help address global warming and make the US more energy independent: "It's about our children, about our future, the world in which they live." Democrats avoided a nasty fight by ignoring at least for the time being calls for car manufacturers to make vehicles more fuel-efficient.
Cars, four-wheel-drives and small trucks use most of the country's oil and produce almost one-third of carbon dioxide emissions. That issue, as well as whether to require huge increases in the use of corn-based ethanol as a substitute for petrol, were left to be thrashed out when the house bill is merged with energy legislation the Senate passed in June. But the legislation does end a tax break for buying large 4WDs, known as the "Hummer tax loophole" because it allows people who buy some of the most expensive big cars to write off much of the cost.
Republicans said the house bill did nothing to increase domestic oil and natural gas production or take further advantage of coal, the country's most abundant energy resource. "There's a war going on against energy from fossil fuels," said Republican Ralph Halt, who is from oil-rich Texas. "I can't understand the pure venom felt against the oil and gas industry." Another Texan Republican, Joe Barton, said the bill was "a political exercise" to promote "pet projects (and) pet ideas". The White House indicated that Mr Bush might veto the bill, saying it made "no serious attempts to increase our energy security or address high energy costs" and would harm domestic oil and gas production.
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