Antinuclear

NSW wind power project approved, despite fossil fuel lobby’s hype

coal and nuclear power industries are spreading bad press about wind power as it is presently their main renewable competitor,…“Local anti-wind groups have sucked up their propaganda.”…..wind power has the cheapest operational costs. “

Wind Power a Concern for Some Communities, Epoch Times, By Cassie Ryan, 31 May 2010, In Australia this month, Epuron’s 73-turbine Gullen Range wind farm in New South Wales was approved, providing, however, that 14 landholders are compensated. The case had centered around complaints of visual impact, “shadow flicker” and the need for a buffer.

According to Epuron’s website, based on an 84-turbine layout, the Gullen Range Wind Farm could supply clean, renewable energy for up to 73,500 average homes and reduce gas emissions by up to 588,000 tons (of CO2 equivalent) per annum.

However, despite wind’s power ability to cool global warming, the NIMBY (“not in my backyard”) issue remains unresolved.Dr. Mark Diesendorf, expert on renewable energies and author of “Greenhouse Solutions with Sustainable Energy,” believes the coal and nuclear power industries are spreading bad press about wind power as it is presently their main renewable competitor, adding, “Local anti-wind groups have sucked up their propaganda.”………..
wind’s intermittent nature plus daily and seasonal variations in electricity demand, for example due to winter heating, require a backup to overcome lulls or short-term changes in supply or demand. ….
In Australia, Diesendorf says a backup would be new transmission links, for example, from South Australia to the East Coast grid, followed by gas turbines, pumped hydro, “flow batteries,” and possibly compressed air energy storage (CAES), if natural caverns are available to store excess electricity……
Comparing wind with nuclear power, Diesendorf says it is now significantly cheaper “if you look at the total capital and operating costs … and the prices are coming down.”

Once set up, wind power has the cheapest operational costs. “In Europe, this is driving down the cost of electricity to consumers.”
Furthermore, “tens of thousands of people are employed by the wind industry and its component manufacturers, despite the global financial crisis.”

Like solar, wind power comprises smaller modules and can be installed as needed, making it less risky for investors.

Coupled with incentives such as subsidies and tax credits, wind power is taking off in suitable locations around the world, despite the perceived disadvantages. Diesendorf believes that with the correct government policies in place, “20-25 percent is straightforward” for the wind power component of Australia’s overall electricity generation. Combined with other renewables, such as solar and bio-electricity, this would cut the reliance on “dirty coal.” Epoch Times – Wind Power a Concern for Some Communities

June 2, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | energy, New South Wales, wind | antinuclear, Australia, climate change, energy, reneweable energy, wind