Potential for Wind Energy in NSW

Greetings from the Gunning Shire Hall, where a delegation from the Australian National University's Energy Change Institute is inspecting the gunning wind farm. We started with traditional home baked country afternoon tea and a briefing on the NSW Renewable Energy Action Plan (REP) and Renewable energy precincts. The NSW government has a plan for capturing a share of national wind energy and other renewable investments. As well as the technical issues as to where there is suitably windy land for wind farms, there are issues of land planning and social equity. Gunning is on the edge of Canberra with the expectation of increased land value for housing. Wind farms could threaten that. In contrast areas and individual farmers, who miss out on a wind farm may feel aggrieved. REP run a Renewable Energy Day and community education activities. One point shown by research is that while there is a NIMBY effect ("Not in my backyard), with support for wind turbines dropping the closer of the resident to the proposed site, there is still strong support for wind energy in the community.