Mixed Greens: Senate rejects second airing of anti-wind farm bill

The attempt by Senators Nick Xenophon (Independent) and John Madigan (DLP) to reintroduce their Excessive Noise from Wind Farms Bill – which was debated in parliament last year – has been foiled, the Upper House “negativing” the motion on Thursday morning, 36 votes to 32. During the hearing, Senator Madigan said that the concerns of “a whole group of people who are effected, their health is effected” from living near to rural wind farms, had been “belittled, mocked and ignored.” He called for “independent, eminent,” rigorous and home-grown research into the health effects caused by wind farms that he says “can and have been proved.”

Interestingly, the senator’s plea follows on the heels of just such a study – an investigation by the South Australian EPA into wind turbine noise which concluded that: “the level of infrasound at houses near the wind turbines assessed is no greater than that experienced in other urban and rural environments, and that the contribution of wind turbines to the measured infrasound levels is insignificant in comparison with the background level of infrasound in the environment.” The study – and the commencement of others like it – has already largely been dismissed by many in the anti-wind camp, which is perhaps what Madigan was alluding to when he stressed in his address that “even when we do reach a conclusion” on wind turbine infrasound and its effects, we must make sure “we haven’t closed our minds to new research that may be introduced.”

Speaking from the other side of the debate was Greens Senator Richard di Natale, who earlier tweeted that he was “About to speak in the @AuSenate on Madigan and Xenophon anti-wind bill. Speaking up for wind power, health and evidence-based policymaking.” Last November Australian Greens leader Christine Milne described the bill as part of a “bogus and disgraceful …fake grass-roots campaign” to “do in renewable energy” and delay action on climate change that was run by the fossil-fuel sector. She also listed some of the 222 diseases and illnesses people and animals are purported to have contracted due to exposure to wind farms. She also pointed out that research showed that people who had a financial interest in wind farms located on or near their property did not seem to be affected by them.

In other news…

General Electric has confirmed that it is firmly committed to embarking on new wind power projects in Australia, despite – reports The Australian – “community opposition to wind farms.” The company’s global vice-chairman, John Rice, said GE plans to refocus on infrastructure projects, including “two or three” in Australia. “We are having discussions with third-party financial institutions about partnering in ways that will help get wind projects developed and other important energy projects,” Rice said.

Wave energy developer Carnegie Wave Energy has been awarded a $1.25 million grant to help fund a pilot of its seawater desalination technology. The technology is similar to that used in its wave energy systems, but uses the hydraulic energy to drive a reverse osmosis desalination process rather than electricity. The grant from AusIndustry’s Clean Technology Innovation Program will be used to support the design and construction of a facility that will be integrated into its existing Perth Wave Energy Project, which is due to begin construction shortly. The desalinated water could be used to supply freshwater to the HMAS Stirling navy base on Garden Island.

Green Energy Group – the parent company that incorporates Green Energy Trading and Green Energy Markets, led by Ric Brazzale – has announced the addition to its line-up of Green Energy Advantage, an outfit that advises business on smart energy solutions and associated supporting programs. Commenting on the move, Brazzale said an important function of the newcomer would be to assist with securing the government’s green grants and incentives to help offset the up-front costs of energy management solutions.