SA leads the states in wind energy

SA is now Australia’s largest producer of wind energy, with more than half the nation’s installed capacity last year, and so far about $2.8 billion has been invested in wind power, creating more than 3000 direct and indirect jobs.

Wind power took off in the state in 2011, generating 26% of South Australia’s electricity needs as reliance on coal decreased, an EnergyQuest report says.

EnergyQuest reports that 80% of electricity generated in the National Electricity Market (NEM) last year was fuelled by coal. Just 11% came from gas, 6% came from hydro and 3% was powered by wind.

“The state government has been keen to make SA a leading place for wind power. Twenty six per cent is certainly up there in the world rankings for wind contribution,” said EnergyQuest chief Graeme Bethune.

“The theory was always that wind is very intermittent, so it wouldn’t displace baseload power and would need to be backed up. But in fact that doesn’t seem to be the case.”

EnergyQuest is an Australian energy advisory firm, which specialises in energy market analysis and strategy for energy companies, energy buyers, investors and governments.

Source: AAP NewsWire