Category: NSW

climate change, coal vs renewables, community support for windfarms, NSW, turbine set back distance, Wind Farm Benefits, wind farms, wind farms & property valueLeave a comment

Wind farms: A farmer’s point of view

martanieczyporuk

What do farmers think of wind energy? Sheep farmer and prospective wind farmer from Crookwell, Charlie Prell, shares his views with Yes 2 Renewables:

GullenRange20130713There has been plenty of public discussion about my view on wind farms recently, some more accurate than others.  To set the record straight I want to clearly state my position to the community.

Firstly, I believe that humans are responsible for global warming which is leading to long-term climate change.  I also believe that we are obliged to try and do something about this, in the interests of our children and grand-children.

Secondly, wind turbines can make a significant contribution to reducing the amount of coal burnt to produce electricity.  This will reduce the amount of global warming that we face.  The situation in South Australia clearly demonstrates this. Continue reading “Wind farms: A farmer’s point of view”

Clean Energy Council, energy transition, NSW, renewable energy, renewable energy and the energy grid, South Australia, Tasmania, victoria, Wind Farm Benefits, wind farms1 Comment

Record month for Australian wind energy

martanieczyporuk

Published by Renew Economy. View original article.

wind-windy-weather-71ae2989242731aaIn our Graph of the Day on Monday [2nd September], we looked again at the record-breaking week of August 10-18 for wind energy in Australia. As it turns out, the entire month of August 2013 was a record breaker, all round – for the National Electricity Market (NEM), and for the individual states of South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and NSW. Continue reading “Record month for Australian wind energy”

#Auspol, Baillieu Government, climate change, community support for windfarms, Napthine Government, NSW, O'Farrell Government, Policy Watch, South Australia, Tony Abbott, VC82, Victorian Coalition, Wind Farm Benefits5 Comments

Policy Watch: O’Farrell govt renewables plan provides model for Napthine

Leigh Ewbank

camFriends of the Earth campaigns coordinator and prominent Australian environmentalist, Cam Walker, says it’s time for the Napthine government to follow the lead of their counterparts in NSW:

Tony Abbott has wasted no time in cutting into climate change programs, including reaffirming earlier commitments to kill off the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, which supports the development of renewable energy projects.

This makes the Victorian government’s anti-wind energy stance even more worrying. The creation of arbitrary ‘no go’ zones across much of the state has effectively stopped new wind projects being brought forward. South Australia has been the main beneficiary of this policy, with wind investment moving west. Continue reading “Policy Watch: O’Farrell govt renewables plan provides model for Napthine”

community support for windfarms, Crookwell Wind Farm, NSW, renewable energy, renewables & employment, Wind Farm Benefits, wind farms6 Comments

Goulburn Chamber of Commerce told of wind farm benefits for farmers and community

martanieczyporuk

 What do renewables mean for the land owner and the community?

r251433_1034004My family owns a farm of about 1,800 acres just north of Pejar Dam on the Crookwell Road.

We have been receiving rental payments for my windfarm (which is yet to be built) for more than two years now. I want to simply spell out to you the impact of this for me and for our local community and its economy. Continue reading “Goulburn Chamber of Commerce told of wind farm benefits for farmers and community”

Anti-wind farm campaigning, Coalition, community owned wind farms, community support for windfarms, Friends of the Earth, Gillard Government, Liberal Party, NSW, Pollie Watch, Regional Development, renewable energy, Waubra Foundation, Waubra wind farm, Wind Farm Benefits, wind farm panic1 Comment

Australians Rally 4 Renewables!

Leigh Ewbank

Midday today, at Garema Place in Canberra, Friends of the Earth and Get Up! will present a Rally 4 Renewables. People representing the 73 percent of Australians who support the Renewable Energy Target and 76 percent who support more wind energy will call on the Coalition to end the uncertainty surrounding Australia’s Renewable Energy Target.

The positive, family-friendly rally will feature speakers from across the political spectrum, wind farmers, and people with first-hand experience of wind farms. Continue reading “Australians Rally 4 Renewables!”

Mildura, north western Victoria, NSW, O'Farrell Government, Solar Energy, Solar PVLeave a comment

NSW moves on big solar while Victoria lags behind

Leigh Ewbank

The following post is by Yes 2 Renewables volunteer, Jasmine Coghetto:

The NSW Government has approved a pioneering solar power station in Broken Hill and will invest $64.9 million in the project. Victoria’s northern neighbour is leaving the state in the dust as it moves ahead with big solar projects.

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The 50-megawatt Broken Hill solar project will install 650,000 photovoltaic modules five kilometres from the remote regional town. It will generate 125,000 MWh of electricity every year, meeting the needs of around 17,000 NSW households. Over 110,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions will be avoided each year—the equivalent of removing 31,000 cars from the road.

Clean, zero-carbon electricity isn’t the only benefit of the Broken Hill plant.  The project will make a significant contribution to regional job creation and economic development. Up to 150 direct, local construction jobs will be generated during the 17-month construction period.

In contrast to its neighbour, Victoria is lagging behind when it comes to big solar projects. Even though there has been some progress toward renewables, this achievement cannot be compared to the step taken by NSW. Continue reading “NSW moves on big solar while Victoria lags behind”

NSW, Stockyard Hill, Suzlon, The Sisters wind farm, Transfield, Union Fenosa Wind Australia, wave power, Western Victoria, wind farm panic, wind farms & agriculture, Yaloak South wind farmLeave a comment

Pollie Watch: Vic Greens leader says anti-wind farm lobby causes stress, anxiety

Leigh Ewbank

Greg wind turbine near portland_0Victorian Greens Leader Greg Barber (MLC) has joined his federal counterpart Senator Richard Di Natale in identifying anti-wind farm campaigning as the source of stress and anxiety falsely attributed to wind mills.

On Thursday March 1, the Australian Senate debated the anti-wind farm bill  proposed by Senators John Madigan (DLP) and Nick Xenaphon (Ind). Greens Senator Richard Di Natale  gave a powerful speech addressing the alleged health impacts from wind farm noise. Di Natale, a doctor and medical health specialist, said “It is the spread of misinformation that causes harm; not the wind turbines themselves.”

Mr Barber’s office released the following statement on the matter echoing Di Natale’s assessment of the real causes of stress and anxiety:

The Greens say it is the anti wind farm lobby that is causing stress and anxiety amongst wind farm neighbours.“There is no ‘wind turbine syndrome’, only Simon Ramsay Syndrome,” said Victorian Greens Leader Greg Barber.“He’s running around scaring people into thinking this mysterious low frequency noise is making them sick.”  Continue reading “Pollie Watch: Vic Greens leader says anti-wind farm lobby causes stress, anxiety”
Ballarat, Meridian Energy, Mt Mercer wind farm, NSW, Origin Energy, REpower Australia, TRUenergyLeave a comment
Hepburn Wind's two REpower 2.05MW turbines

Wind farms: two steps forward, one step back

Ben Courtice

Todays news has seen two wind farms getting the go-ahead, and one abandoned by its proponent.

Hepburn Wind's two REpower 2.05MW turbines
Hepburn Wind’s two 2.05MW REpower turbines

Giles Parkinson at Renew Economy reports on the Taralga wind farm in NSW:

CBD Energy said it has signed a power purchase agreement with TRUenergy that will allow construction of the 108MW Taralga wind farm to begin later this year – its first utility scale wind project in Australia.

(. . . )

The $250 million Taralga wind farm – which won approval only after a fierce court battle – had been in doubt about the failure of the AusChina joint venture that CBD Energy signed last year to take the project forward. However, CBD then took on the principal development role to secure the PPA and equity and financing partners. The PPA is a key element in gaining financing, and partners and the EPC contractor are expected to be announced soon.

And on the Mt Mercer project, proponent Meridian energy has announced it will begin construction in December 2012. A contract has been signed with turbine manufacturer REpower to supply the turbines. Continue reading “Wind farms: two steps forward, one step back”

Collector Wind Farm, NSW, NSW Labor Party, O'Farrell GovernmentLeave a comment

Australian Energy Market Operator Report: Wind Energy Best Option for NSW

Leigh Ewbank

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) have released a new report identifying wind power as the best option for New South Wales to meet it future power needs.

Anna Patty reports for the Sydney Morning Herald: Continue reading “Australian Energy Market Operator Report: Wind Energy Best Option for NSW”

Collector Wind Farm, community support for windfarms, NSW, Renewable Energy Target, Renewable technologies, renewables & employment, wind farms4 Comments

NSW Planning Dept Review Proposed Collector Windfarm – Call for Submissions

Leigh Ewbank

The New South Wales Department of Planning has extended its call for submissions on a proposed wind farm project near the township of Collector—located on the ‘strategic corridor’ between the nation’s capital, Canberra, and largest city, Sydney.

RATCH-Australia Corporation propose building 68 wind turbines to generate up to 228 megawatts of zero-carbon electricity. The $350 million project would:

  • Generate enough electricity to power 80,000 homes annually.
  • Help Australia meet the 2020 Renewable Energy Target.
  • Establish a $200,000 ‘community benefit fund’ once the project is operational.
  • Create approximately 100 jobs during construction and 10 to 15 permanent jobs.

Despite the many benefits of wind energy (for example), such projects often catch the attention of anti-wind energy interests. ‘As we know, the organised campaign against wind energy tends to get a disproportionate amount of coverage in the media,’ says Cam Walker, Friends of the Earth campaigns coordinator. ‘This skews the debate and suggests there is greater angst about wind energy than is actually the case.’

If you live in the neighbourhood and support renewable energy, please make a submission today – it will only take a few minutes. Your personal views will add an authentic local voice to the decision-making process and help counter the spin of anti-wind energy interests. Please encourage your friends to also write a submission. Continue reading “NSW Planning Dept Review Proposed Collector Windfarm – Call for Submissions”