Portal:South Australia/Selected article/15

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Wind power in South Australia is a growing industry with 388 megawatts (MW) of grid-connected wind farms, and a further 341 MW under construction.^[1] South Australia is well suited to wind farms and more wind power is generated in South Australia than any other Australian state or territory. South Australia will have 15 per cent of its electricity coming from wind farms by the end of 2007. Wind farms do not emit greenhouse gases in the generation of electricity, and so wind power is considered a highly desirable form of renewable energy which assists in the reduction of the State’s reliance on coal and gas fired electricity generation.

In 2003 the only large wind turbine in South Australia was a 0.15 MW unit at Coober Pedy. By early 2004 there was 34 MW of installed wind power and in September 2006 there was 388 MW. By August 2007 there was 388 MW of operational wind farm capacity in South Australia (Canunda, Cathedral rocks, Lake Bonney Stage 1, Mount Millar, Starfish Hill, and Wattle Point), and a further 341 MW (Hallett, Lake Bonney Stage 2 and Snowtown) under construction.