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4 January 2009

EPAW demands moratorium on european wind energy developments

126 groups sign up to stop the useless and destructive wind farm program across Europe

European Platform Against Windfarms (EPAW), a federation of associations and other groups from nine different EU countries, has launched their new website and invited groups in the EU to join their international fight for a moratorium on european wind energy.

The EPAW is made up of 126 signatory organisations across nine european countries. These signatory organisations are listed on the EPAW website.

The aim of EPAW is to defend the interests of the numerous groups that are either fighting individual windfarm projects, or denouncing the ineffectiveness of windfarms for solving the problems of man and the planet, or fighting generally against their deleterious effects as regards people and their health, wildlife, landscapes, tourism, property values, quality of life, bush fires, erosion, water contamination and other ill effects on the environment.

In an Open Letter to the European Institutions published on their website, EPAW states that the Platform is favourable to renewable energies when they efficiently reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and the corresponding CO2 emissions, and when they are socially, economically and environmentally acceptable. However, the EPAW deplores the fact that the deployment of some of these renewable energies takes place in the European Union under the pressure of financial or ideological lobbies yet the results don't fulfil the fundamental demands of sustainable development. EPAW has noted that windfarms are the most worrying case, because they have drained most of the public funding dedicated to renewable energies without ever having demonstrated their usefulness. Worse – as is the case worldwide – they have contributed to degrade the existing environment.

For further information visit the EPAW website where you can read the full text of the open letter, messages of support from organisations across the globe, and links to other wind farm opponent groups.

2 January 2009

Call for wind farm approvals to be returned to local councils

Parliamentary inquiry needed to review planning issues and effectiveness of wind energy

Katrina Hodgkinson, state member for the NSW electorate of Burrinjuck says the power to approve wind farm developments should be returned to local councils.

Hodgkinson, whose electorate in central NSW is home to several existing or planned industrial wind installations that have been vigorously opposed by her constituents, is calling for the NSW Government to hold a parliamentary inquiry into the planning requirements for wind farms as well as their effectiveness in conserving energy.

The Nationals MP says the Planning Minister should also be stripped of the right to approve the developments.

She says residents in the Crookwell area are concerned the Planning Minister does not understand the impact wind farms have on land values.

"It's of great concern to them that they really don't have any ability to stop some sort of development going on in their own backyard despite the fact that they've got to live with the consequences," she said.

"They are saying very strongly to me let's bring it back to the community. Let's bring the planning decisions back to the local communities that are going to be impacted."

Ms Hodgkinson says currently there is no consistency in the Planning Minister's approval.

"Until we have that framework these sorts of developments are just going to go ahead willy nilly at the discretion of whoever happens to be the Planning Minister of the day in NSW," she said.

"I don't think that that's good enough."

Ms Hodgkison was recently promoted to the position of Shadow Minister for Natural Resources.

13 December 2008

Every cloud has a silver lining

Global financial crisis puts Australian wind farm developments on hold

According to a report on the ABC rural website, many Australian industrial wind farm projects are on hold due to a combination of problems securing credit, the drop in the Australian dollar and a wait for renewable energy targets from the Federal Government.

Bemoaning the fact that finance for these projects has dried up, Nick Crawly, managing director for financial consulting firm Navigator Project Finance, said money was available for wind projects until the economic problems started. Since then, finance has gone and projects are being cancelled.

While the speculators in the industrial wind industry may be distraught at this turn of events, many rural communities around Australia facing an unwanted industrial wind installation in their neighbourhood will, no doubt, view this as a most welcome reprieve.

The full report is available to read from the ABC Rural website or listen to a PODcast from the ABC website (11.4 MB - wind farm story is the second item in the PODcast).

24 October 2007

"Windmills, we all know, don't work"

Strange goings-on in the wind industry. Earlier this month, a German company trumpetted plans to build a 500 turbine wind farm in far west of NSW. The company simultaneously announced that the project was already in "jeopardy" unless – of course – Federal and State governments increase subsidies to the wind industry.

How could a project be in jeopardy before it even starts? Why is the same project announced with all the accompanying media hoopla when the company proposing it has not even gathered a full year's worth of wind monitoring?

In an article published in The Canberra Times, Simon Grose examines how the spin and promises of the renewable energy industry, and in particular the wind industry, fail to live up to reality.

The article also quotes a renewable energy industry insider who confirms that wind turbines "don't work" due to the variablity of output but are popular with Governments who seek to convince the voting public of their green credentials.

The full article is published below, or read it on The Canberra Times website.

Simon Grose
Solar's struggle to climb tower of potential
The Canberra Times
24 October 2007

'A German company has announced plans to build one of the largest wind farms in the world near Broken Hill in far western NSW. The company, called Epuron, says the $2billion wind farm could produce enough clean power for 400,000 homes. But confusion over clean energy targets set by state and federal governments is threatening to derail the plan."

That was how Tony Jones introduced a story on the ABC's Lateline program earlier this month.

Strange, that such an ambitious project by a global player in the wind-power industry could be announced and in jeopardy at the same time. It should be more likely that such a company would get everything in place before making such a large announcement.

Even stranger, according to Epuron Australia's managing director, Andrew Durran, it has yet to monitor wind levels over a full year in the chosen area. It hired Canberra company Windlab to model the wind resource at the site, has six years of data from a wind monitor in the area, and has had its own monitoring system in place for a few months. On this basis, Durran says it offers "a very good wind resource over quite a broad area".

Was this an opportunistic gambit to win promises of financial support from the major parties during the federal election campaign? Or a ploy to try to get the states and the Commonwealth to integrate their incentives and targets for renewable energy? Or both?

"Windmills, we all know, don't work ... You know what their real value is? A government publication can have a windmill on its cover."

Whatever, it didn't please the NSW Government. Agriculture Minister Ian Macdonald was noticeably underwhelmed.

"NSW isn't a high wind state where you could reliably guarantee, efficiently, wind power into the grid to meet both economic and target needs," he said.

The project's estimated output is based on the fact that wind farms generate less than 20per cent of their installed capacity on average over a year. If the estimated cost is correct and if it includes connecting the turbine network to the national grid it will cost at least twice as much as a coal or gas-fired power station of similar capacity. The potential for absolute emissions savings is difficult to estimate because a dependable back-up source coal or gas at the moment would have to be running continually to ensure continuity of supply.

This new plan in the far west of the state brings to mind another renewable energy project in that part of the world.

When EnviroMission floated on the stock exchange in 2001, it said it expected to begin building a 1km-high solar tower near Mildura in 2003 and to have another four standing tall around the country by 2010.

A 5km-diameter transparent skirt around the tower would heat the air beneath up to 35degrees greater than the ambient temperature. As this hot air rushed up the hollow tower, it would turn turbines at its base, generating about half as much electricity as Epuron's proposed 500 wind-turbine project. At the current price estimate of a bit under $1billion, its cost-power ratio is on par with the wind farm but the company makes the reasonable claim that it would operate more reliably, even at night, because there will always be a heat differential between the ground and an altitude of 1km.

What has happened to EnviroMission? It has agreements with landholders and construction partners, it has improved its technology and building methods, but it hasn't got any plans to start building and its shares are worth about 12c.

Spokeswoman Kim Forte says they missed out on federal and state money earlier this year when the bulk of clean energy funds went to a photovoltaic solar project in Victoria and to "clean" fossil fuel projects. Its corporate future is now focused on a merger with a United States associate company, with an eye to the 30per cent tax write-offs available for renewable energy projects in the US.

"Our mandate is for developments in Australia and we are now seeking a mandate to develop outside Australia," Forte says.

Unlike the Epuron project, which acknowledged its potential failure on the day it was announced, EnviroMission's project began in an uplifting aura of hope and wonder but has faded slowly ever since, mainly because of its largely experimental status as an energy generator and a construction challenge. Perhaps it is this experience over six years which has left Forte more willing to speak her mind than most renewable energy promoters. "Windmills, we all know, don't work," she says, referring to the variability of their output and the distance between high wind provinces and grid connections.

"You know what their real value is? A government publication can have a windmill on its cover."

And geothermal energy is 20 years off, if it's lucky.

"The Victorian Government is tossing money at exploration for hot rocks. I think they need to walk out of their offices and look up there is the biggest hot rock. It's absolutely daft."

She insists that the company is still positive that it will get a solar tower up somewhere, somehow, sometime, but it's a tough grind.

"What you are hearing here is dismay at the lack of real policy to support a much-needed industry."

Six years from now, Epuron's wind farm and EnviroMission's solar towers could both be generating electricity in the desertificating far western plains of NSW. Or both could be dusty proposals on shelves, still waiting for sufficient subsidies and guarantees for their boards to give the go-ahead.

If the latter is the case, at least Epuron can say they foresaw that possibility from the start.

Simon Grose is a science and technology writer.

22 July 2007

Molonglo left in limbo: No news yet on wind farm

An article published in The Canberra Times highlights the lack of communication with the community most affected by the proposed wind farm on the Molonglo Ridge.

The full article is published below, or read it on The Canberra Times website.

Cayla Dengate
Canberra Times
Sunday, 22 July 2006

MOLONGLO residents say they are living in limbo as they wait to hear whether a wind farm will be built on nearby bushland.

Acciona Energy previously EHN Oceania remains tight-lipped about the project to build a 55sqkm wind farm on Molonglo Ridge, which is expected to begin this year.

With no sign of construction about to start, local residents are looking for answers.

"We are glad it hasn't happened yet but at the same time we are extremely frustrated and annoyed they haven't even bothered to contact us," Molonglo Landscape Guardian president Wendy Bell said.

"We want to get on with our lives but until we know whether the wind farm is going in, there's no point putting money and work in to improve our properties because it could become worthless.

"The last time the company was in contact with the community was in 2005. We've picked up bits and pieces from the radio but when we send them registered letters asking for more information, we are ignored."

Over the past year, Ms Bell said they had been unable to get a straight answer.

Instead, there had been excuses including that site investigations were continuing, Federal Government policy had changed, the company was waiting for the outcome of the NSW election, and that the consultation process had been "hijacked" by local agitators.

"If by 'hijacked' they mean exercising our right to protest against something that will have extreme effects on our properties and local area, then so be it."

Ms Bell lives within 4km of the proposed wind farm and there are properties as close as 1km to turbines.

"No one wants to live near a wind farm. Who would move to the country to live near an industrial site? Not to mention the impact on agriculture and the natural environment."

She said EHN Oceania had previously stated there was no evidence that wind farms decreased property values, which she disputed.

"The way they've treated us is a disgrace. They have a complete lack of regard for the feelings and issues faced by people who are living with the prospect of a wind farm looming over their everyday lives."

Acciona Energy said in a statement it was "talking with stakeholders, government and the energy sector" about a number of projects including Woodlawn and Molonglo.

"We are also pleased to see widespread public support for green energy generation, as more people recognise the important role it plays in tackling climate change."

Federal Parliamentary inquiry into renewable energy sector announced

11 May 2007

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Industry and Resources has announced an inquiry into the renewable energy sector.

The Committee will undertake a comparative study of the following renewable energy sectors: solar, wave, tidal, geothermal, wind and hydrogen. The case study will examine the relative state of development of these sectors and their prospects for economically viable electricity generation, storage and transmission.

Launching the case study, the House Industry and Resources Committee Chairman, Geoff Prosser MP, said that "renewable energy sources have the potential to significantly reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy production and use in Australia. However, the state of development of renewable energy sectors varies considerably and, in the case of solar and wind, are impeded by intermittency and challenged by the difficulty of storing the electricity generated."

"The Committee will examine the current state of play among the renewable electricity generating and energy-storage technologies in Australia, and determine what the prospects are for economically viable electricity generation, storage and transmission for each sector," Mr Prosser said.

For more information about the inquiry process, including information on how individuals can participate in the process by making a submission that addresses the terms of reference can be found on the Industry and Resources Committee Inquiry page.

Submissions close on 15 June 2007.

6 March 2007

A drop in the bucket

Why are we being asked to give up so much for so little?

It sounds pretty impressive when Acciona tell us that the Molonglo wind-plant will "save" the production of 245,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases every year. That is, until you realise the utter insignificance of that number in Australian (let alone global) terms. For example, according to the British Airways CO2 emissions calculator, in 2004-05, the greenhouse emissions generated by the 929,000 passengers on the 75 flights per week between the UK and Australia was a whopping 3.6 million tonnes.

Even if you accept that Acciona's purported savings actually exist (which coal-fired power stations will be closing or scaling back?) you'd need 14.6 Molonglo wind-plants just to offset these 3.6 million tonnes of emissions. What about the emissions from the rest of the flights from, into and within Australia, and around the world?

Sydney 's Kingsford Smith Airport alone handles over 286,000 flights and 28.3 million passengers per year. How many wind-plants would you need to offset their emissions?

Contrary to Acciona's hype, the Molonglo wind-plant won't make a stick of difference to saving the planet. Nor will any number of wind-plants in this region. Sure, they look big and impressive, like they should be doing some real good (anything that big and noisy ought to be effective). So whose benefit do they serve?

People lucky enough to live far away from these monsters might get a warm inner glow viewing them from a safe distance. Wind plant supporters say "We've got to do something about global warming, and every little bit helps". A "little bit" is a complete overstatement.

By advocating for industrial wind, its supporters are in fact advocating for the permanent destruction of our landscape in return for a minuscule (and largely hypothetical) impact on greenhouse emissions.

Are you happy about that? Will your children be happy that instead of taking real action on climate change solutions, we settled for the token effort of wind turbines?

There are clean energy solutions that can (or have the potential) to displace baseload, coal-fired power generation - geo-thermal, green hydro and bio-mass. These energy sources are predictable and are responsive to demand and because of these characteristics, they are in every way they are better options for supplying power to the grid than fickle wind.

Related Links:

News Archive – January to December 2006

• More Puff than Power (August 2006)
• Nemmco confirms: wind energy "displaces other forms of low-impact energy" (August 2006)
• What is the MRET? (June 2006)
• States reject national code for wind energy installations (June 2006)
• What's really driving the wind rush? (May 2006)
• Discussion paper for a National Code for Wind Farms released for comment (May 2006)
• Wind-turbine fire at South Australian Wind Plant (February 2006)

News Archive – July to December 2005

• Federal Environment Minister seeks National guidelines on siting windfarms
• Is the wind industry a "feckless, burping juggernaut"?
• Federal Government considers windfarm planning code to protect communities
• EHN deny access to the ridges
• New NSW Planning Minister announced
• Victorian Government rejects windfarm

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