Aussie wind power in doldrums.

I didn't hear anything about financing wind power generation in NSW and South Australia in Costello's budget of a few days ago. $500 million was allocated for the rehabilitation of the Murray River, to be spent immediately but as Danny Kennedy of Greenpeace Australia points out, inaction on the major threat to of Murray's ailing health, climate change, means the allocation will ultimately be wasted.

Now we read of two wind farms worth $550 million and another worth $250 million being shelved because of lack of Federal support, putting at risk another $12 billion worth of proposed wind farms that could power all the homes in NSW and South Australia. It is not even money the developers, Roaring 40's, are looking for. They want the government to increase its mandatory renewable energy target:

The target boosted investment in environmentally friendly forms of power by requiring 2 per cent of electricity be generated from renewable sources. However, it was so successful the 2 per cent figure has been reached.

Without an increase in the target, electricity retailers were reluctant to commit to power contracts with wind farmers, said the managing director of Roaring 40s, Mark Kelleher.

In the meantime we are losing jobs and opportunities in our wind farm manufacturing industry to China and the US. It doesn't seem too smart to me. Source: :::[SMH]

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