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Climate change is the most serious environmental threat facing the world today and clean renewable energy sources like wind power are a significant part of the solution. Wind power is plentiful in many parts of the world, and can be harnessed safely to generate electricity, without producing any dangerous waste or unwanted by-products.
Wind energy, as part of a diverse renewable energy portfolio, can also make a valuable contribution to our national energy security and meet rising demand in a sustainable way.
Wind energy systems are among the most technologically advanced and cost-effective renewable sources currently available. Modern turbines are likely to be producing useful power for up to 85% of the year, and have a design lifespan at least 20 years. The power produced by onshore wind farms is one of the cheapest forms of renewable energy available today, with the real potential for continuing technological advances to bring the costs down still further.
 Wind power is the world’s fastest growing energy source, averaging 30% growth per year. Its cost is already economically comparable to nuclear power and is still falling as the technology advances. In 2006, global installed capacity stood at 74GW and the value of new generating plant installed reached US$24 billion. This is great news for jobs and economic growth - achieving 12% of the world’s electricity from wind by 2020 could create 1.79 million jobs worldwide. With our engineering skills and huge wind resource, we are in a prime position to benefit even further.
To reap these economic and environmental rewards, the importance of wind power must be recognised both locally and regionally.
 New Zealand, as an island-nation in the Pacific, has an excellent wind resource and the potential for generating energy from the wind is therefore large. Wind energy projects can generate power for homes and businesses at a competitive price – similar in cost to other forms of new generation. Wind farms can help meet environmental and energy security objectives, providing clean, carbon-free and reliable power from an indigenous resource.
Currently, less than 2% of New Zealand’s electricity comes from the wind but, as elsewhere around the globe, the industry is growing and installed capacity is increasing. The New Zealand Government has a target of 30 PJ (petajoules) of new renewables by 2012 and is currently consulting on its Energy Strategy to 2050. For more information about wind energy policy, technology and the current market in New Zealand, visit www.windenergy.org.nz. |
