Some residents of Taralga don't like windmills and have sent me the following poster picture Download file (180 kb).
It came with the following text:
"Place on notice boards, dart boards, toilet doors......the mind boggles. Let's just get the message out. No prizes for the most original use................"
I am not sure that windmills are the most efficient generators of electricity, and the people of Taralga (NE of Canberra) have a right to protest, but I actually think the windmills in the picture look rather beautiful.
[...] that blog post from the residents of Taralga back in June 2005 explaining they did not want any [...]
Hi
What is the current state of affairs regarding the windfarms?
I agree with Bobby K, we actually should be thinking of not so much us but for those future generations...our family etc
Anyone trying to convince you that coal-fired power stations generate 'cheaper' electricity than wind turbines hasn't considered the fact that the operators of coal-fired stations don't pay for their externalities.
When you consider the cost of removing the air pollutants that coal-fired stations throw up into the atmosphere, electricity from wind turbines is actually cheaper.
If you buy electricity froma coal-fired power station you are contributing to the pollution in our air and you should be charged for it to be removed.
If anyone has been following up on Dr Nicola Tesla they will have seen some amazing things, way before their time. http://www.ucsofa.com appears to be a flow on from this and my only question is what to do with the unemployable leftovers?????
But if you would care to evaluate what is being proposed then the last thing we need is another windfarm anywhere in Australia if not the world!!!!!!! John
Graeme, My colleague Alan Moran wrote something about the Snowy with direct relevance to the issues you raise. His opinion piece was published by The Age newpaper on Monday and can also be accessed at the ipa site:
http://www.ipa.org.au/files/news_992.html .
Where does the Snowy Mountains hydro scheme fit in all this? Has its electricity generating capacity become too small to be of continued use? If so, should it be decommissioned? Isn't it a prime example of support for the argument for having peak load capacity able to be turned on to respond to demand? Would it have been built today in view of its environmental impact and potential opposition - Jindabyne was destroyed to create it for example and much wilderness was invaded (like Lake Pedder)?
Isn't the real key managing runaway community demand - something I think about every time I pass the 'Gabba and the massive lights are blazing for night football and cricket?!
Louis - now you are completely wrong in a totally seperate area.
No coal plant has 100% load factor. It is about 90% for the new ones and it drops to 80% as they age. This is time down for maintenance and failures so by your test all coal plants should not be economic.
Coal plants and nuclear plants are really bad at coping with peak demands. The physical design of large rotating machinery with high thermal inertia prevents steam turbines from starting and stopping quickly. These ususally have to be 'backed up' with fast reacting diesels or gas turbines that can handle the peaks. So already the fossil fuel plants are backed up with surplus capacity.
Renewables such as wind supply this backup peak capability nicely. Far from needing to be backed up they provide cheap peak power at the right times during the day when the demand is greatest.
Base load for the future can be provided by gas turbines running on hydrogen or methane produced at peak renewable times and stored. Hydrogen can be produced from sunlight and water. Methane can be produced from sunlight water and CO2.
Sorry Loius is is not the end of the story.
Ender, you belittle the situation at Taralga by saying we should be able to put up with a few windtowers but you fail to see the big picture of thousands not just a few. There are an awful lot of wind testing towers throughout this region all requiring a D.A. should you wish to look this up check with Upper lachlan Council as to how many there are in the pipeline! I still can't get over the fact that the state Government won't recognise these sites as industrial and treat them as such. I am sure there would not be as many D.A's if this was the case!!!!! John