Antinuclear

AUDIO: weak argument against wind farms – but investment uncertainty is a problem

There’s thousands of megawatts of wind farm projects that are already permitted and just waiting for the market to proceed, and it’s uncertainty that’s being created that’s stopping that happening. So the industry can easily deliver it.

We released a poll earlier this year that showed that about 80 per cent of people, and that was both people in country areas near wind farms and in city areas supported wind farms. While we were there we saw tremendous acceptance of wind farms and the need to build wind farms across Australia

AUDIO Energy Australia says opposition to wind farms could derail renewable energy target http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2012/s3636528.htmTimothy McDonald reported this story  , November 20, 2012  
Listen to MP3 of this story     ELEANOR HALL: One of Australia’s major electricity retailers, Energy
Australia, has told the Climate Change Authority that it has concerns about community opposition to wind power because it might make Australia’s renewable energy target difficult to achieve.

The company says that to meet the target, wind power would have to be dramatically expanded, and that many communities are likely to oppose that.

But others dispute the company’s claims, and say the greatest threat to renewables comes not from community opposition, but from an uncertain investment climate.

Timothy McDonald has our report.
TIMOTHY MCDONALD: Energy Australia says wind power’s rapid expansion
seems to rub many communities the wrong way.

Clare Savage is the executive manager of strategy and corporate affairs.
CLARE SAVAGE: We’ve got a great project in South Australia which
received planning approval and approval from the Environmental
Protection Authority, but it was actually voted down by the greater
city council. So we’re currently pursuing that through a judicial
review.

But from our perspective, when you see good projects knocked back by
local government, you’re actually in a situation where it’s difficult
to get the community on board. ,,,,,,
TIMOTHY MCDONALD: Russell Marsh from the Clean Energy Council says
polling shows that the community is broadly very positive about wind
power.

RUSSELL MARSH: We released a poll earlier this year that showed that about 80 per cent of people, and that was both people in country areas near wind farms and in city areas supported wind farms. While we were there we saw tremendous acceptance of wind farms and the need to build wind farms across Australia…..
CLARE SAVAGE: Renewables deployment is not a race, and from our
perspective, it’s important that we get the scheme settings right such
that the scheme has longevity and our concern is if we actually triple
the amount of wind projects every single year from here to 2020, the
risk is that the community will push back on the scheme and the scheme
itself comes into question.
TIMOTHY MCDONALD: Lane Crockett from Pacific Hydro isn’t convinced.

LANE CROCKETT: No look, I don’t buy that argument at all. There’s thousands of megawatts of wind farm projects that are already permitted and just waiting for the market to proceed, and it’s uncertainty that’s being created that’s stopping that happening. So the industry can easily deliver it.

TIMOTHY MCDONALD: A number of wind energy companies have made
submissions suggesting that uncertainty is the biggest problem, and
that changing the target could affect the investment climate.

November 22, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Audiovisual