|
World
round up
Australia tries to do it right
New South Wales is where it’s happening
most down under. After a slow start wind power is moving ahead, with
an $18 million 10MW windfarm opening recently - the biggest so far
in NSW. The Blayney Wind Farm consists of 15 of the 660 kW turbines
producing enough power to supply the electricity needs of 3,500 average
Australian homes. SEDA, the Sustainable Energy Development Authority,
helped get the project off the ground with funding from its Renewable
Investment Program. It’s part of a diverse range of projects
they have supported, including hydro, solar and wind generators.
"Regional communities across the
state are boosting their economies, creating jobs and helping the environment
from green technology used to harness wind power",
said Minister Yeadon at the opening of the new wind farm.
But not everythings bright in Australia
nationally. A Bill requiring all electricity retailers to source an
additional 2% of their supply from renewable sources has been stalled
in the Senate, and Australia continues to drag it feet on the Kyoto
accord.
However the green power market is thriving.
Since its launch in April 1997 by SEDA, the Green Power Accreditation
program has been extremely successful in stimulating market demand for
renewable energy. The first of its type in the world, the program is
now national and has received both international and national awards
- US EPA Climate Protection Award 1998 and the Prime Minister's Environmental
Award 2000.
The program continues to go from strength
to strength with South Australia about to enter the steering group and
launch its first green power product.
Currently, there are 17 products from 15
retailers available to domestic and commercial customers across the
country - with the addition of South Australia, 96% of the population
has access to GreenPower. At present, Energy Australia's Pure Energy
(NSW) and Powercor’s ecosaver (Victoria) products are demonstrating
great success - attracting 15,330 and 17,512 customers, respectively.
Other successful companies have been Powercor with over 3% of its domestic
customers choosing Green Power and ACTEW with 2%.
For more details see the Green
Power web site, run by the National Green Power Accreditation Steering
Group. Visit: http://www.greenpower.com.au/
Source: Sustainable Energy Development Authority
(SEDA) PO Box N442 Grosvenor Place NSW 1220 PH +61 2 9291 5260 FAX +61
2 9299 1519
WEB: www.seda.nsw.gov.au
Wind Power for N Korea
The US-DPRK Village Wind Power
Pilot Project is the first attempt by a US non-governmental organisation
to work side-by-side with North Koreans in co-operative development.
Previously, non-governmental organisations have been limited by both
the American and the North Korean governments to delivering food aid
to North Korea. The project installed seven wind turbines in a rural
village on the west coast of North Korea. They provide energy to the
village’s medical clinic, kindergarten and households. In addition
to meeting urgent humanitarian needs, this pilot project enables North
Korea to demonstrate that it is willing to conform to international
standards for development assistance. It is seen by DPRK as ‘a
stepping stone from which North Korea can enter the international development
community’.
Netherlands go for more green energy
The Dutch economics ministry has confirmed
plans to further encourage the country’s expanding consumer renewable
energy market by liberalising green electricity in July, some two years
ahead of full opening of the consumer power market.
Under the initiative, Dutch households will
no longer be limited to buying green electricity products offered by
their local utility. Nearly 1% of Dutch households already purchase
green electricity, but now they will be able to switch suppliers in
search of cheaper prices or even particular forms of renewable energy
production- as in the UK. The primary reason for the staggered start
to consumer market liberalisation is to "provide an extra impulse"
to green energy, a ministry spokesperson told ENDS Daily. The Dutch
market has already been identified as one of the largest in Europe and
likely to experience strong growth. The spokesperson added that the
move also responded to concerns among some consumers that some types
of renewable sources - such as energy from waste -are not as green as
others.
Competition between products is expected
to lead to cuts in the price of green electricity, a trend already observed
over the last couple of years as increases in Netherlands' tax on conventional
energy products have closed the price gap with renewables. Currently,
there are at least three companies offering green power at the same
price as conventional. The consumer power market will be fully liberalised
in 2003 or 2004. The government wants 10% of electricity generated in
the Netherlands to come from renewables by 2020. The current figure
is 2.4%.
* the Dutch government is also providing more
funding for industrial carbon dioxide reduction projects. The third in
a series of four funding rounds will contribute euros 50.4m to 43 projects,
most aiming to improve companies’ energy efficiency. When complete
the euros 426.1m programme is expected to deliver half the country's Kyoto
protocol target of a 12m tonnes reduction from 1990 levels. See http://www.minez.nl
|
