Major wind farms could still become a feature of Otago and
Southland landscapes. TrustPower's board is expected next
month to approve the first stage of its Mahinerangi project,
near Dunedin, and it is feeling more comfortable about the
Kaiwera Downs project near Gore.
Yesterday's Environment Court decision has raised
expectations Kaiwera will proceed.
"We always believed Kaiwera was just viable but with Project
Hayes [rejected], it is certainly looking much more viable,"
company spokesman Graeme Purches said.
He was not surprised Project Hayes had been rejected and
hinted Meridian Energy had misjudged by heralding its project
as one of the biggest and most important in the world.
TrustPower was "careful" not to build wind farms that were
too big. The less intrusive a project, the better, he said.
"We're not into Think Big."
The power company wants to start building the first 30MW
stage of its Mahinerangi wind farm early next year, although
it is not yet known exactly when the development will be
finished and producing electricity.
Mr Purches said the move was highlighted in its recent
six-month report and a full business plan was expected to be
signed at the next meeting in December.
Contact Energy, another company with major power-generation
plans in Central Otago, said the decision clearly showed
electricity transmission was the biggest issue facing any
plans for large-scale development in the area.
Contact will early next year unveil plans for at least one
major hydro-electricity dam on the Clutha River. But
spokesman Jonathan Hill was unsure if the Project Hayes
decision would have any effect on the company's ambitions.
Facing up to and addressing transmission capacity issues
would be key, he said.
"Certainly, the issue with building large-scale generation of
any sort in Central Otago region - transmission will be the
most critical issue."
Contact had confidence Transpower's push to address
transmission issues on the national grid would address the
present constraints.
Mr Hill did not want to comment further until he had received
and read the decision.
Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee did not return calls, while
Infrastructure Minister Bill English, who was visiting
Balclutha, said he did not want to say anything until he had
seen why the wind-farm proposal had been rejected.
Small wind power is better
It seems to me that the Lake Hayes project fell into the trap that original hydro schemes did. If it is big it generates a lot of power which has to be transmitteed over long distances becuase of our sparse population, converted to DC to cross Cook Strait, and much of the output is lost in the transmission. So much better is the concept of small farms close to the user which wind can do much more easilly than hydro.
local and private solutions
One approach gaining momentum in other OECD countries is subsiding private households which invest in alternative energy systems. In some states of the US, for example, it's possible to be energy self-sufficient (solar and micro-wind) for around $3500 with state and federal subsidies. Excess power is then fed back into the grid and fetches a reasonable rate, which means the entire system pays for itself within several years. The main advantage for consumers is that they can stay connected to the grid. Unfortunately in New Zealand, the power companies have no interest in long-term sustainability. Their only concern is to sell more power. Get rid of the supply charge, allow private systems to stay connected and feed back into the grid at market rates, and I'm sure there will be lots of customers investing in sustainable systems right where they're needed.
Yes but will Central Government take the plunge ..
The American model is a very valid one to look at. Indeed in Nth America the return on "consumer generated energy" fed back into the grid and the subsidization of households prepared to invest in alternative energy systems, makes for viable consumer sourced energy production. It encourages ownership of a problem, and investment in alternative home energy systems. There are many and varied sources of such energy production, each with its merits. In Central Otago I have yet to hear much advocacy for CSP, Concentrating Solar Power
See this link for a diagram.
See this link also for an excellent description of various Concentrating Solar Power technologies now in use elsewhere in the world.
There are now large CSP systems operating in Europe and US, with 100MW systems using liquid salt to store solar energy to generate power during non sunlight hours. It is predicted that up to 35% of US power production will be derived from Solar in the not to distant future. Here in NZ we need to lobby central Government to legislate fair and equitable reward for home generated energy.
Then we will see true Kiwi ingenuity come to the fore. No power company will ever want to see this happen, as it usurps their hold over the consumer. It will require a Government with the courage to take on large corporate "greedies" to happen however.
Protecting unique landscapes the key
Congratulations to Trustpower for entering the 21st Century and rejecting Think Big. Unlike Contact, who remain a intent on pursuing large scale projects in unique landscapes. Small is beautiful and, more importantly, much more likely to be accepted by local communities. If the Lamermoors are a unique environment worthy of protection, the few remaining stretches of wild Clutha are doubly so. Wise up, Contact. Think Big is dead. Take the smart, sustainable route and leave our iconic river alone.
And they are ..?
Perhaps you would like to enlighten us on what exactly are the smart and sustainable alternatives to wind, and hydro energy production. I think there are alternatives to 50 storey wind towers. One assumes the Dutch are the masters of harnessing wind energy, because they have been making vindmills for centuries. However I think Kiwis might be smarter, and can in fact harvest more energy from the wind, using structures less intrusive on the landscape, and more environmentally elegant. The answer lies in a very common everyday appliance, and like most successful machines, is simple in design. Alas ideas cost money to prove, and I certainly do not have spare to risk, is there anyone who cares to put up the capital. I applaud the rejection of Project Hayes, I was convinced we were rushing headlong into an old technology solution. Better for us to think like a Kiwi bloke can think and solve like a kiwi bloke can solve.