Wind power is the world’s fastest growing energy source;
- Australia has an excellent wind resource.
- A wind farm typically occupies less than 3% of the land area so farming operations can continue as normal.5,000MW of wind capacity in Australia would deliver $10 billion of investment, 10,000 jobs and electricity for 2.5 million homes.
- Victoria has currently 33 proposed wind farms with an investment potential of AUD$7.8b and 3,052 direct jobs.
- Victoria currently has approximately 949MW of operating wind power generation.
- Victoria has a significant number of areas where favourable wind conditions exist and future wind energy facilities may still be considered in these locations.
- Planning permits currently exist for almost 400 wind turbines in Victoria which are yet to be constructed. These permits are in addition to more than 450 wind turbines already in operation and a further 586 turbines under construction.
- View the list of operational and approved wind energy projects in Victoria here.
- Victoria has world-class wind resources and the technology to harvest energy from wind is well-proven and is being widely used around the world to provide reliable supplies of energy.
- The Victorian Wind Atlas provides detailed information about the State’s wind resource in individual local government areas. It contains data and analysis about the wind resource in Victoria, proximity to electricity transmission systems.
- Research shows that the production of electricity from wind results in less burning of fossil fuels. Each megawatt hour of wind energy generated in Victoria currently avoids the generation, on average, of one tonne of greenhouse gas emissions. A typical two megawatt wind turbine in Victoria will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 6,000 tonnes per year.
- Despite the benefits, wind farms may have local amenity impacts that have raised concerns among those in surrounding communities. A 2010 Public Statement by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) reported there is currently insufficient published scientific evidence to positively link wind turbines with adverse health effects. For more information and to download a copy of the NHMRC Statement here.
- The Victorian Deparment of Health has also developed two information booklets on wind farms, relating to sound and health. The booklets can be downloaded from here.