March 21, 2012
New Zealand

Council pushes for $1.6b Genesis wind farm

Robert McCambridge, The National Business Review, www.nbr.co.nz 21 March 2012

Genesis Energy’s proposed $1.6 billion wind farm will have definite financial benefit for the region, Masterton district deputy mayor Jane Terpstra says.

Consent is yet to be granted, but consent hearing chairman Philip Milne says that considering the amount of evidence collected by the company so far it is likely the wind farm will go ahead.

Ms Terpstra says although there has been some division between neighbours about the proposed development, the project will put the region in a better financial position.

“The wind farm development project will definitely have a financial benefit for the region,” she says.

The project is expected to bring about $247 million into the Masterton and Tararua districts.

The proposed Castle Hill wind farm project led by state-owned enterprise Genesis Energy – one of several SOE’s up for partial sale – will see more than 280 wind turbines built along several northern Wairarapa hillsides.

Power generated by the wind farm will provide more than 370,000 homes with power in and around the region.

Genesis is still carrying out a full assessment of the project before it goes ahead.

Restrictions on wind turbine size and density will also have to be assessed.

The hearing panel is expected to release a preliminary decision on March 30, but a final decision will not be made for btween two and four weeks until an agreement is reached with Genesis on the “visual impact” of the windmills.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/03/21/council-pushes-for-1-6b-genesis-wind-farm/