The Renewable Energy Target (RET)
Australia’s Renewable Energy Target (RET) has been under review for more than one year, and at the time of writing negotiations over the level of the target were still ongoing. The Australian Government’s latest position was a large-scale target of 32,000 gigawatt-hours, but the industry and the Opposition are both calling for a target in the mid-to-high thirty thousands.
The Clean Energy Council remains hopeful of a resolution in the coming days that will end the uncertainty for Australia’s renewable energy sector. The current review has seen investment in large-scale renewable energy fall by almost 90 per cent, and so it is clear that a stable target is required to kick start new investment, and provide a clear future for the sector.
Wind power inquiry continues
The Australian Senate has established a Select Committee to review wind farms, with terms of reference that include the effect of wind farms on household power prices, health, fauna, fire-fighting, crop management, emissions reduction, as well as planning processes and compliance.
The committee has called for submissions from interested parties by 4 May, and will subsequently complete a report on its findings.
Wind Industry Forum
Australia's only technical conference for wind experts is coming up in Melbourne on Thursday 26 March.
It will include presentations from the experts on a variety of topics, including:
- blade repair
- grid integration
- the latest control and SCADA systems
- noise assessment
- remote sensing devices
- the price of energy
View the full WIF2015 program online at www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/wif2015
Victorian Government delivers a win for wind farms
Victorian State Premier Daniel Andrews announced changes to wind farm planning laws in March that intend to open the southern state back up to investors in renewable energy to create more jobs.
The changes reduce the veto for a proposed wind turbine from 2 km to 1 km, in line with the rules in neighbouring South Australia.
The Clean Energy Council joined the Premier, Planning Minister and Energy Minister at the official launch of the changes.
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) statement on wind farms and health released
The NHMRC released a statement on wind farms and health in February. The statement has been coming for about three years, when a new review of the evidence commenced following the 2011 Senate Inquiry into wind farms. The report concluded 'there is currently no consistent evidence that wind farms cause adverse health effects in humans’.
The Clean Energy Council sent out a media release to say the report came to the same conclusion that multiple other local and international studies have - that wind farms are safe and clean.
Australian Capital Territory (ACT) wind auction winners announced
Three new Australian wind farms are likely to go ahead thanks to the announcements of the successful bidders in the ACT Government’s reverse auction process. The reverse auction was launched in 2014 as part of the ACT Government's ambition to source 90 per cent of its electricity from renewables. The wind auction will source 200 megawatts of wind, enough to provide around one-third of Australian capital city Canberra's electricity.
The successful bidders were Clean Energy Council member companies RES Australia, Windlab and Neoen. The Clean Energy Council sent out a media release on the announcement.