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Posted on 1-7-2004
New
Zealanders Preferred Energy
PlaNet TV (PTV) has screened `Energy 21', we'll screen again
soon on
Triangle and other Regional TV channels, as it is imperative
that the
government get the message about where NZers want their energy
to be
sourced from and what they don't want.
................
1 July 2004
New Zealanders "overwhelmingly" support wind energy
and hydro electricity,
an Electricity Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA)
study released
today says.
Wind power came out top in the EECA-commissioned survey of attitudes
towards electricity generation options carried out by UMR.
About 82 per cent of respondents approved or strongly approved
of wind power.
Hydro power generation had 79 per cent approval, while geothermal
scored
67 per cent.
NZPA understood that the study did not outline how much each
form of
energy production cost.
When people were asked if they supported a wind farm being built
in their
local area support dropped to 60 per cent.
Eighteen per cent opposed a wind farm in their area, Energy
Minister Pete
Hodgson said.
Nine per cent did not want them even if they could not see or
hear them.
Wind power was set to grow from around 40 megawatts to 160MW
in the year
to next April, Mr Hodgson said.
Growth was in part due to the government Projects to Reduce
Emissions
programme, under which six proposed wind farms were being awarded
carbon
credits.
The programme awards credits that reduce greenhouse gas emissions
that
would not otherwise go ahead.
Carbon credits, or emission units, are internationally tradeable
and add
to the financial value of a project that will reduce greenhouse
gas
emissions.
"New Zealand has an abundant wind resource capable of producing
about 20
per cent of (its) electricity needs," Mr Hodgson said.
"The perceived main problem with wind, that it is unreliable,
is not an
issue in New Zealand.
"Wind and hydro are ideal complementary renewable power
sources because
when the wind does not blow we effectively have electricity
stored in our
hydro lakes.
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