December 6, 2006
New Zealand
New Zealand
TrustPower will formally apply today for resource consents to build a wind farm near Lake Mahinerangi capable of producing enough electricity to supply 100,000 homes a significant downsizing of its original plans.
The power generator has pruned several key features of a project initially estimated to cost $600 million. The price tag is now about $400 million, and instead of up to 150 turbines, the revised application seeks permission for a maximum of 100.
TrustPower has not included any Dunedin City Council-owned land in its initial application, so will not need to apply for resource consent from that authority until the third and final stage within the next three to five years. The land involved in the initial application is in the Clutha district.
The revised application, expected to be filed later today, was lodged with the Clutha District Council and Otago Regional Council, while the Central Otago District Council will be asked to grant minor earthworks consents associated with the wind farm’s construction.
TrustPower believes the wind farm will take between two and three years to build and hopes to have the first two stages finished and producing electricity by the end of 2009.
Yesterday, the Clutha District Council said the application could be publicly notified in late January and public hearings could be held in either Balclutha or Dunedin about May next year.
By Glenn Conway
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2006/12/06/plans-for-wind-farm-pruned/