WIND INDUSTRY:

The Wind industry is environmentally responsible and provides a source of renewable electricity generation that produces no air pollution. Economically, the industry has great potential in providing long term careers as well as employment opportunities for regional and local communities during construction. Wind power will not be the only source of electricity generation but in the long term can play a significant role in reducing the emissions intensity of Australia’s electricity generation sector.

European countries including Germany, Spain and Denmark have taken the lead in developing their wind industries. Whilst Australia is a vast country and has an excellent wind resource, it is yet to secure its place as a leader in the wind industry because the electricity prices in Australia are amongst the cheapest in the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries. This is due to our reliance on cheap and abundant reserves of coal where the externalities caused by their pollution are not factored into the electricity price. In the absence of a price on pollution, the promotion of large scale renewable generation with appropriate federal targets, as well as technological improvements in wind turbines and the economies of scale brought about by larger wind farms will see wind compete more effectively with fossil fueled power stations.