Wind Firms Cry Foul

Wind Firms Cry Foul

Sep 01 - Waikato Times

Wind energy companies are seeing red over a secret taxpayer- funded Government guarantee for a new gas-fired power station when there is no similar support for wind.

The Wind Energy Association is calling on the Government to reveal its secret deal with Genesis, which secured a taxpayer- funded guarantee of its debt repayments if it runs short of gas for a new power plant expected to be operating by late 2006.

The National Party has also called on the Government to reveal the taxpayer liability.

Wind Energy Association chief executive James Glennie said wind energy was just as capable of contributing to security of supply as a gas-fired power station but was not being given the same level of government support.

"It just seems to me a bit rich for the Government to be talking about 25 or 30 petajoules in the Government's renewable energy strategy . . . and at the same time it's going behind closed doors to make these deals with people to support thermal generation."

Either there was support for wind generation, as the Government was supporting thermal generation, or there should be no support and "let the market do the job".

"Let's have a level playing field," Mr Glennie said.

The Government was saying it needed the gas-fired power station for security of supply, "well wind can provide that security of supply".

"They are talking about it (renewable energy) but they are clearly not walking the talk."

Though some wind energy projects were winning carbon credits, they were difficult to sell and not worth a lot.

The Netherlands Government tender process to buy carbon credits had a lot of hurdles and there was no liquid international market for the credits.

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