{"id":548031,"date":"2010-04-30T07:15:00","date_gmt":"2010-04-30T11:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9864176.post-2911779379758058876"},"modified":"2010-04-30T07:16:46","modified_gmt":"2010-04-30T11:16:46","slug":"daylesford-wind-farm-goes-ahead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/548031","title":{"rendered":"Daylesford wind farm goes ahead"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Age has an article on a community owned wind farm being built in Victoria – Daylesford wind farm goes ahead<\/a>.<\/p>\n

AS big energy companies bemoan a lack of certainty to invest in new power plants, a central Victorian town last night celebrated a deal that will build Australia’s first community-owned wind farm.<\/p>\n

After five years of planning, contracts were signed yesterday to build the two-turbine Hepburn Community Wind Park at Leonards Hill, about 10 kilometres from Daylesford.<\/p>\n

According to the co-operative behind the project, it will generate 12,200 megawatt hours a year – significantly more than is needed to power the town’s 1887 homes.<\/p>\n

Hepburn Wind chairman Simon Holmes a Court said more than 1100 members had invested $7.5 million. Together with a $975,000 state government grant and the backing of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, it was enough to sign a contract with German manufacturer REpower systems to build the $12.9 million farm.<\/p>\n

Mr Holmes a Court said the project was based on the Denmark model of small communities owning boutique wind farms. ”Most Australians want to see a meaningful response to the threat of climate change, but many aren’t sure what constructive role they can play,” he said.<\/p>\n

”By pooling resources, [we] have developed a model for the low-carbon future that is both low cost – at least four times cheaper than rooftop solar photovoltaics – and brings a significant new business to town.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n