Ministerial Statement: Queensland's clean wind energy potential mapped

[ozbob]

Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Stephen Robertson
28/02/2010

Queensland's clean wind energy potential mapped

The Bligh Government has released a map of Queensland's wind energy potential to help lead clean energy companies to prime development sites in Queensland.

Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy Stephen Robertson said the map will show the international community of clean energy investors that Queensland is well and truly open for business.

"We know Queensland has the natural resources necessary to become a renewable energy leader, and the wind map will provide evidence of this to the world," he said.

"The Wind Atlas highlights zones of wind speed and strength across the State.

"These zones are represented in colour ranges from blue to red with red being the highest wind farm potential.

"In particular, the areas around the regions including Atherton to Cooktown through to Cairns are shown to be peculiarly windy, with higher wind renewable energy potential."

Mr Robertson said the 'Queensland Wind Map' is a key initiative of the government's Queensland Renewable Energy Plan and will help to attract significant investment to the state.

"The government's Office of Clean Energy contracted Hydro Tasmania Consulting, a company with significant experience in renewable energy, and with particular expertise in the wind and hydroelectric industries, to produce the map," he said.

"The wind energy map is overlaid with key information such as the location of national parks and existing power infrastructure, and future updates will add even more information.

"The map can be downloaded free from the Office of Clean Energy website and used by developers' own mapping systems.

"The Office of Clean Energy will also use the map to identify Renewable Energy Zones for the state."

Mr Robertson said these zones will be similar to a minerals province.

He said they will be the prime areas of the state where access to state land will be facilitated, planning processes streamlined and incentives developed for renewable energy proponents.

"This is a significant milestone in the Queensland Government's overarching plan to leverage $3.5 billion of renewable energy investment and to create 3,500 green jobs," Mr Robertson said.

The Queensland Wind Map can be downloaded free from www.cleanenergy.qld.gov.au

ENDS

Screen shots of wind map available on request.

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[#Metro]

It would be good to get a new dam or geothermal or wind power if the electricity was cheaper than it is today, or if it is cheaper than it will be in the future (such as if a carbon tax or ETS scheme was enacted).

In terms of public transport, finding a cheap source of energy to power QR Citytrains (and potential future light rail/metro) would mean cost savings, as to run new services the cost of Electricity seems to be the major cost.

It has been done before. Surplus power from the tram network was sold to residents. And even today there is great demand for cheap electricity.

The original New Farm powerhouse, designed by Architect Roy Rusden Ogg and commissioned by the newly formed Greater Brisbane City Council, went into service as the first council-operated power station built in Brisbane in June 1928.

Earlier power stations in Brisbane had been operated by private companies. The New Farm powerhouse supplied electricity for the whole tramway network, as well as power and lighting loads for the suburbs of Yeerongpilly, Toowong and Ithaca. As Brisbane grew more suburbs drew their electrical power from the powerhouse. The commercial areas and older suburbs of Brisbane drew their electricity from a private power generating company called the City Electric and Light Company, whose powerhouses were located on the Bulimba Reach of the Brisbane River. In 1963 the City Council sold the New Farm powerhouse to the Southern Electrical Authority.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brisbane_Powerhouse

[SteelPan]

This Minister, with a very, VERY, suspect political record - is clearly mad - ever been near a windfarm?  Looked for example, across a beautiful valley - right to you hit the man-made and rather NOISY wind-turbines...people down south and 'round the world, curse the day these terrible things came into their regional communities - NO THANKS!  

[mufreight]

Is Parliament House on this wind farm map for renewable energy.
There is considerable wind created there together with hot air which could be utilised to drive turbines and the they could collect all the methane from the unmentionable stuff they distribute so freely and use it to power generators, use of these resources to generate green power would greatly reduce the present levels of greenhouse emissions with the byproduct of Parliament actually contributing something productive.

[#Metro]

Funny, I thought exactly the same thing!  


On a more serious note, there might be scope for energy production through using trigeneration and methane.
http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/2030/thedirections/projects/EnviroPerfProj.asp

Ambitious, but will it work and will the costs to do it make it worthwhile?