Antinuclear

The Clean Energy Council estimates the decision will kill off around $3 billion of potential wind farm developments. …Victoria’s decision removes some of the best wind resources in the eastern states. 

What bothers the industry most about the Victorian decision is that the government has refused to explain its rationale and the analysis behind the rulings, or why they have not been applied to other industries, such as coal seam gas. The government is accused of delivering on all of the demands of the anti-wind groups, and more, despite the fact that many of its claims had been dismissed in the recent Senate wind inquiry

Have we blown the RET?   Climate Spectator, Giles Parkinson, 30 Aug 11,  “….Victoria’s imposition of a 2km setback for wind farms (giving the right of veto to any householder within that area), to exclude vast tracts of the best resources (the prettiest areas along the coast near the Great Ocean Road, the Mornington Peninsula, the Yarra Valley,  and Mt Macedon ranges), and an unexpected addition – a 5km setback from 21 regional centres – means that options in that state are fast running out.

The Clean Energy Council estimates the decision will kill off around $3 billion of potential wind farm developments. Projects amounting to more than 2,500MW that have been approved should not be affected by the decision, although some may lose that status because they had not been able to get their projects commenced on time – victims of delays, including the financing difficulties that have plagued the industry because of botched federal legislation on the renewable energy target. Two Union Fenosa projects worth more than $400 million potentially fit this category.

This decision in Victoria, and whether the O’Farrell government chooses to follow suit or not, has potentially major implications for the federal government’s 20 per cent renewable energy target, although it is not ready to concede the point just yet. Some industry participants, such as Origin CEO Grant King, say the target will already be hard to meet. Little has been constructed in recent years because the RET has failed to provide the price signal intended, and utilities have felt under no obligation to offer power purchase agreements needed to finance the projects.

Victoria’s decision removes some of the best wind resources in the eastern states. Although the government argues that 92 per cent of the state is still available to wind, wind farm developers say they are effectively locked out. Pacific Hydro, one of the biggest Australian developers, says it will not pursue any further developments in Victoria once its two current projects are completed….

The Victorian government beat its chest loudly about wind turbines during the election campaign, but then found its policies could be difficult to implement in a sensible manner. That is until the intervention of the Premier’s department. Baillieu is reported to have close ties to anti-wind farm groups. O’Farrell has shown similar interventionist tendencies in NSW, and the government’s position on rooftop solar is not encouraging.

The wind industry is not liked by many, either, because of the sight of the turbines, or because it represents an industry that shouldn’t exist because there is no climate problem to solve with clean energy in the first place. Or because some believe that nuclear is the only possible answer.

But for the moment it is the cheapest and most efficient form of renewable energy in the country. It may be intermittent, but it is surprisingly predictable – 96 per cent, according to the Australian energy market operator – and the Europeans, Americans and Asians have built tens of thousands of megawatts of wind turbines and found them quite useful. So they plan to build even more….

What bothers the industry most about the Victorian decision is that the government has refused to explain its rationale and the analysis behind the rulings, or why they have not been applied to other industries, such as coal seam gas. The government is accused of delivering on all of the demands of the anti-wind groups, and more, despite the fact that many of its claims had been dismissed in the recent Senate wind inquiry…..http://www.climatespectator.com.au/commentary/have-we-blown-ret