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September 3, 2008: Dismay at wind farm move

By Bruce Holloway - Waikato Times - Friday, 29 August 2008

Councils are opposed to Government plans to fast-track Contact Energy's application to build a gigantic $1 billion wind farm along the isolated Te Akau coast.

September 3, 2008: N.Z. to Expedite Ruling on Contact Energy Wind Farm

By Gavin Evans

Aug. 27 (Bloomberg) -- New Zealand's government will expedite a ruling on whether Contact Energy Ltd. can build a NZ$1 billion ($700 million) wind farm on the North Island.

September 3, 2008: Study shows low price of integrating wind power

Monday April 28, 2008
By Brian Fallow – The New Zealand Herald

The costs of integrating wind power into the electricity system are relatively low, a study has found.

The study was headed by Professor Goran Strbac of Imperial College London and commissioned by Meridian Energy. It was not concerned with the cost of building and operating wind farms or of any additional transmission investment needed to connect them to the national grid.

September 3, 2008: More power from wind

The Press, Christchurch, 04/07/2008

Wind energy provided 2.2 per cent of total electricity generation last year, figures from the Ministry of Economic Development reveal.

September 3, 2008: Mighty River asks Govt to call in new wind farm scheme

State-owned Mighty River Power is asking Government to fast-track its application to build a 131-turbine wind farm near Palmerston North.

August 27, 2008: Govt. calls in Raglan wind farm decision

Environment Minister Trevor Mallard says he intends to call in Contact Energy's proposal for a 180-turbine wind farm near Raglan to be considered by an independent board of inquiry.

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July 20, 2007: North Canterbury wind farm proposed

By The Press

Resource consents for a wind farm in North Canterbury are expected to be lodged with the Hurunui District Council next month or early September.

MainPower wants to build the farm on a 3km ridge running north-east from the summit of Mount Cass, 6km east of Waipara.

It could be generating power by late 2009 to between 4000 and 10,000 homes, depending on its size and turbine selection.

July 14, 2007: Meridian denies expansion plan

By David Williams, The Press

Meridian Energy has strenuously attacked a suggestion that it has a secret expansion plan for its proposed $2 billion Central Otago wind farm. It insists that is not the case.

The controversial Project Hayes – to erect 176 wind turbines on the Lammermoor Range, 30km south of Ranfurly – has been opposed by All Black Anton Oliver, poet Brian Turner and artist Grahame Sydney. Each turbine will be 160 metres tall.

Meridian says the farm was unmatched in New Zealand and could save more than a million tonnes of CO2 emissions each year – the equivalent of taking 296,000 cars off the road.

July 10, 2007: NZ Company Launches First Wind Turbine for Rural Customers

New Zealand start-up EREC Ltd launches its first wind turbine for rural customers
Press Release: Energy Recovery Engineering and Construction

This week, New Zealand start up Energy Recovery Engineering and Construction Limited (EREC) launched its first prototype wind turbine designed to bring affordable and renewable energy to rural New Zealand. The new 11 kilowatt wind turbine was erected in Hukerenui, Northland. It is designed specifically for farmers and people in remote locations to offset or ultimately eliminate the effects of rising rural electricity prices.

June 28, 2007: Home wind turbine cuts power bills

By NZ Herald

Homeowners could soon get part of their power supply from a small wind turbine fixed on their roof, if a power company's trial shows potential.

The electricity distribution company Vector yesterday began the trial at Waitakere City Council, where a micro wind turbine has been installed on the roof of the civic centre from where it will feed electricity directly into the building.

June 28, 2007: Council Decision Serious Blow To Motorimu Wind Farm

Palmerston North wind decision not excusable

Palmerston North Regional Council announced yesterday that they would only give partial consent to the construction of a new wind farm near Motorimu. Although the original plan for the wind farm included 127 wind turbines the council Commissioners have only given approval to 75. Christine Bowen, a spokeswomen for Allco, the developers of the wind farm, said that the decision came as a great disappointment. Allco is now considering whether to appeal against the decision in the Environment Court or to go ahead with constructing the smaller wind farm.

The commissioner's decision against the farm has been sharply criticized by the head of the NZ Wind Energy Association, Fraser Clark. Mr Clarks says the Commissioners cannot escape the reality that their decision has lowered New Zealand’s capacity for sustainable electricity generation.

June 14, 2007: Critic Slams All Black over campaign against wind farm

By New Zealand Herald.

A wind power lobby group has hit back at All Black Anton Oliver over his campaign against a South Island wind farm. In a statement today, the Wind Energy Association condemned his comments as a "shrill" attack and said that few people would be swayed by his comments.

May 17, 2007: Greenpeace applauds West Wind outcome

Auckland, New Zealand — Greenpeace today applauded the Environment Court's decision to approve a major wind farm project near Wellington. Greenpeace supported this project and joined the appeal in the Environment court on the basis of its significance in helping New Zealand reduce greenhouse pollution.

April 17, 2007: Environment Court declines wind farm application

In an Environment Court decision released yesterday, an application by Unison Networks to establish a 37 turbine wind farm in the vicinity of the Te Waka Range has been declined. Hastings District Council granted the application to Unison after a month of hearings in May 2006. The application was in addition to the 90 turbine wind farms already approved by the Environment Court in the vicinity of State Highway 5 and the Titiokura Saddle. In its decision the Environment Court said it could not agree with the Council on the degree of adverse landscape effects in particular.

March 29, 2007: Meridian denies rumours about Makara wind farm

State-owned Meridian Energy has denied a newspaper report it was considering pulling the plug on its planned windfarm project at Makara, near the Cook Strait coast west of Wellington. "I'm not considering pulling the plug. That is quite wrong," chief executive Keith Turner told Radio New Zealand. "Secondly, it is quite wrong to say this project may not go ahead. We are quite confident that it will go ahead."

January 12, 2007: TrustPower to proceed with wind farm in Australia

A majority NZ-owned company, Trustpower, is now expanding its business to Australia.
TrustPower today announced it would start constructing a $200 million wind farm in South Australia's mid-north in April, which it said would be its Australian beachhead. The company said plans had been finalised for the construction of 42 wind turbines on the Hummocks and Barunga Ranges west of Snowtown, 170km north of Adelaide.

December 25, 2006: Wind Capacity Will Double in 2007

Greenpeace is delighted to note that, due to the construction of several major wind farms, such as White Hills and Tararua, wind capacity in NZ will double during 2007. This increase in renewable energy generation is a vital first step in finding a solution to the climate change crisis.

December 6, 2006: Wellington Regional Council Awards Tender for Wind Farm to UK Developer

By New Zealand Wind Energy Association

The Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) has announced the successful tender for the Puketiro wind farm site and has surprised many by awarding the development rights for the site to a developer new to the New Zealand market. Renewable Energy Systems (RES) of the UK headed off a field of 6 other companies, including established generators Meridian Energy, Contact Energy Ltd, Mighty River Power Ltd and Genesis Energy. Though new to NZ, RES have constructed over 1200 MW of wind energy capacity worldwide and are currently developing a project in Australia . RES will now establish an office in Wellington and commence development activities towards the submission of a resource consent application, expected in 2008.

October 2, 2006: Windflow Technology opens new wind farm in the Manawatu

The first stage of the Te Rere Hau wind farm, situated off North Range Road on the Tararua ranges approximately 11 km east of Palmerston North, consists of five 500 kW turbines. When complete Te Rere Hau will have 97 turbines with a capacity of 48.5 MW, enough to power over 18,000 local households. By using New Zealand made Windflow 500 turbines, over 90% of the expected project cost will stay in the country. Te Rere Hau is owned and operated by NZ Windfarms Ltd.

September 18, 2006: Wind dream true at last

SATURDAY , 16 SEPTEMBER 2006
By Paul Gorman

He had a dream. Yesterday it came true.

Five hundred metres up on a Manawatu ridge blasted by 45 knots of
screaming westerly, Geoff Henderson's dream of generating
commercial-scale electricity from New Zealand-made turbines finally
came true.

September 6, 2006: Wind farm consent elates

6 September 2006

The Taharoa C wind farm proposal has received resource consent from Environment Waikato and Waitomo District Council.

The 42 turbine wind farm is ground-breaking in that is is proposed by a smaller private organisation - Taharoa C - rather than an energy company.

July 19, 2006: Environment Court approves Hawke's Bay Wind Farms

Decision made on wind farms Wednesday, 19 July 2006
Press Release: Hastings District Council

Today, the Environment Court released its judgement on appeals made against the Hastings District Council's decision to approve two wind farms in the district.

In making its decision, Judge Craig Thompson agreed the wind farms could compromise the visual and landscape amenity of the area, but said this was out-weighed by the capacity of the proposal to produce a reliable and affordable supply of electricity, enabling the community to provide for its future wellbeing.

He also agreed that producing energy using wind would contribute towards slowing the rate of climate change, thereby sustaining the ability of the planet's resources to meet the needs of future generations.

June 19, 2006: Taharoa - Taumatototara wind farm approved

Wind farm to be built by Kawhia Harbour

Radio NZ - Posted at 6:19pm on 17 Jun 2006

A 22-turbine wind farm is to be built near Taharoa, a remote settlement by Kawhia Harbour, on the West Coast of the North Island.

June 9, 2006: Unison windfarm approved by Hastings District Council

Radio NZ, 9 June 2006.

Hastings District Council has unanimously approved an application for a 37 turbine wind farm on Te Waka range between Napier and Taupo.

June 2, 2006: Wind income for NZ farmers

Farmers signing deals with wind-farm developers may be losing out on future earnings if they fail to add more small print, writes Tim Cronshaw.

A wind farm of 30 turbines generating two megawatts (MW) each could conservatively provide farmers about $150,000 a year if they have secure contracts.

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May 6, 2006: New wind farm should power 200 jobs

Manawatu Standard, 5 May 2006
By HELEN HARVEY

The $250-million wind farm planned for Scotts Road, near Linton, is expected to bring $100 million into the region and provide more than 200 jobs.

Energreen Wind (NZ) Ltd, a subsidiary of Australian company Energreen Wind, expects to lodge the resource consent application for the 129-turbine wind farm by the end of the month, technical director Bernhard Voll said.

May 5, 2006: Greenpeace joins West Wind appeal

Greenpeace has demonstrated its support for clean, renewable wind energy by joining the West Wind court case.

March 31, 2006: Renewable energy target needs more wind power

The New Zealand Wind Energy Association today said the Government could still meet its renewable energy targets for 2012 if it allowed network companies to develop wind farms.

The Government announced earlier this week that it would need to update the national energy and efficiency strategy because its targets looked unlikely to be met.

December 22, 2005: Wind turbines get consent in Wellington

Meridian Energy has resource consent to build 70 super-sized wind turbines near Makara in Wellington.

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September 26, 2005: Absolutely Positively Wind

Greenpeace Press Release

Wellington: Environmental activists gathered this morning outside the old town hall in Wellington with model wind turbines in tow to support a proposal to build New Zealand's biggest wind farm on the western coast of Wellington.

September 26, 2005: Consent hearing begins on Makara wind farm project

Meridian Energy's application to build New Zealand's biggest wind farm on the Makara hills starts today at Wellington City Council.

The joint city and regional councils' resource consent hearing on the proposal to build the wind turbines is expected to run for three weeks. It will be open to the public.

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September 12, 2005: Community will be delighted with Awhitu wind farm

Community will be delighted with Awhitu wind farm consent

A community group supporting Genesis Energy's Awhitu wind farm proposal today said it was delighted with the Environment Court consent for the development.

September 9, 2005: Greenpeace welcomes Waiuku wind farm win

Auckland: Greenpeace applauds the Environment Court's decision to allow the Awhitu wind farm, at Waiuku near Auckland to go ahead.

September 9, 2005: Green light for Genesis Energy’s Awhitu Wind Farm

Press Release: Genesis Energy

Genesis Energy’s appeal to the Environment Court to develop a wind farm on Awhitu Peninsula south of Auckland has been upheld.

September 2, 2005: New Zealand's biggest wind farm is to go ahead in Hawke's Bay.

By KAREN HODGE DOMINION POST

The 75-turbine Hawke's Bay Wind Farm was approved by Hastings District Council yesterday.

Unless an Environment Court appeal halts proceedings, the developers hope to begin work this summer.

August 25, 2005: Titiokura Wind Farm Approved

All 16 turbines in Unison's proposed windfarm on the Titiokura Summit have been given the go-ahead.

The Hastings District Council hearings committee yesterday approved the company's resource consent application - the first for a Hawke's Bay wind farm.

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August 11, 2005: Record Number of Submissions on West Wind

As of August 11, 2000 submissions have been received by Wellington City Council on Project West Wind- a record!

A consent hearing will be held at the end of September or beginning of October.

July 20, 2005: 3 Weeks Left For Submissions on West Wind

There are only 3 weeks remaining in the public submission period on Meridian Energy's Project West Wind, the deadline is August 10, 4 PM and all submissions must be mailed or faxed to Wellington City Council. For submission forms and mailing address visit Wellington City Council's website

July 8, 2005: Windfarm generates industry support

The New Zealand Wind Energy Association has lent its support to an application to build the country's biggest windfarm on the Makara hills on Wellington's southwest coast.

Meridian Energy filed a resource consent application on Friday for Project West Wind.

The association yesterday gave its full support to the application and urged all New Zealanders to have their say on the project.

The public has till August 10 to make submissions before the application goes to a likely resource consent hearing.

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July 6, 2005: Tararua Wind Farm Phase 3 Approved

Electricity generator and retailer TrustPower has been granted resource consent for 31 of 40 turbines it wants to erect for the third stage of its Tararua wind farm.

Consent hearings for the extension, which will be partly in Palmerston North city and partly in Tararua district, were held in May.

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July 4, 2005: More Wellington wind farm projects planned

Four more wind farm developments are shaping up around the capital, besides the big Makara project.

In the planning stages are a possible 70-turbine wind farm at Long Gully, in south Wellington, and a 10-turbine wind farm at Wainuiomata.

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June 17, 2005: New Zealand Gov. Report Backs Wind Power

Wellington, New Zealand [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] The New Zealand Wind Energy Association (NZWEA) welcomed the release of a new report on the integration of wind energy in New Zealand which suggests that wind could generate 20 percent of New Zealand's total electricity needs.

June 17, 2005: Wind Farm Planned for New Zealand's Windy Capitol

Wellington, New Zealand [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] New Zealand's Meridian Energy announced it is seeking resource consent to develop a wind farm west of Wellington. Located close to the capitol, one of the country's windiest cities, the proposed wind farm has the potential to be the best performing wind farm in the world.

June 2, 2005: PRESS RELEASE: GREENPEACE WELCOMES PLAN FOR NZ'S BIGGEST WIND FARM

Auckland: Greenpeace today applauded Meridian Energy's plans for New Zealand's biggest wind farm, proposed near Wellington and called on Mighty River Power to follow suit, dump their plans for Marsden B coal-fired power station and develop only renewable energy sources.

May 26, 2005: July start for White Hill windfarm

Meridian Energy Press release

Construction is scheduled to begin in July on New Zealand’s next large-scale wind farm development at White Hill in Southland.

State-owned electricity generator and retailer Meridian Energy says if all goes according to plan ­ subject to the weather - the wind farm will produce its first power in April or May next year and be fully commissioned in the third quarter of 2006.

April 18, 2005: Bay Wind Farm to meet electricity critical need

Press Release: Wind Farm Developments

A proposed $300 million wind farm on the Titiokura Summit, near Te Pohue will help meet the North Island’s critical need for electricity and increase the security of supply in Hawke’s Bay.

February 10, 2005: PRESS RELEASE: NEW WEBSITE URGES KIWIS TO SAY YES TO WIND

www.Yes2Wind.co.nz , a website to support and promote the use of wind power in New Zealand has been launched by Greenpeace, and endorsed and supported by national environmental groups: the Environment and Conservation Organisation of New Zealand (ECO), the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society and WWF New Zealand.

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