[pf] windpower (in NZ)- answer to low hydro-power lake-levels.

· Just got the second part of this, this morning.   D.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
[included in my most recent Env.News compilation is: ]

http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=11760&newsDate=26-Jul-2001
  which starts:
 - - - - - - - - NZ may face repeat of 1992 power crisis - Hodgson
-------------------------------------------------------------------
  
NEW ZEALAND: July 26, 2001

WELLINGTON - New Zealand could face a repeat of the 1992 power crisis which
prompted power rationing, if rain does not replenish low hydro lake levels
within the next month, Energy Minister Pete Hodgson said today. 

"Although we don't have a 1992 situation at the moment we might have one in
three or four weeks or something of that sort," Hodgson told Radio New
Zealand.
"At that stage it seems to me we're going to have to contemplate a massive
conservation programme across the country and bring on every spare diesel
generator that we have," he said.

An unusually dry winter has ramped-up wholesale electricity prices in New
Zealand ...

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

At 22:59 31/7/2001 +1200, Geoff Henderson <geoffh@wtl.co.nz> wrote to me,
with title: Wind power the answer to power cuts :-
>Dear All,
>
>Following is our latest media release.  Interest from investors is high at
the moment, partly due to the publicity about the power crisis.  We have
taken the opportunity to make a few points about the potential for wind
power to avert this sort of thing in the future.
>
>Regards,
>
>Geoff Henderson
>
  --==##==--
Media Release: 30 July 2001

Wind power the answer to power cuts

The threat of power cuts and soaring electricity prices show the folly of
relying on hydropower, says Geoff Henderson, Chief Executive, Windflow
Technology Ltd.  "Wind power can complement hydro and enhance security of
supply.  On a monthly and annual basis wind is more reliable than rain!
Wind power will enable water to be held back in the lakes.  A serious
commitment to wind power is the climate-friendly way to prevent future
power cuts."

"The wind resource in New Zealand is huge.  30-40% of our generation could
come from wind power.  Together with hydro and geothermal, this would give
us 100% renewable electricity.  Wind power is the fastest growing form of
generation world-wide, and New Zealand has the best wind resource in the
world.  It is time to stop treating it as a bit player."

"Wind power, at 5-6 c/kWh, is our cheapest renewable option.  On a
fully-costed basis it is already cheaper than hydro (historically
taxpayer-subsidised) ever has been.  Marginally cheaper gas-fired power is
free-riding on the costs of climate change and risks to future generations.
 But the recent international progress at Bonn on the Kyoto Protocol means
that the days are numbered for gas-fired power to remain competitive.  In
any event the price of gas-fired power will rise as New Zealand's cheap
Maui gas runs out".

"Of course it is too late to do anything this winter, thanks to government
inaction in the last decade.  And it will take a few years to gear up for
substantial wind farm installations.  But the government needs to honour
its pre-election pledges and not just stand by while we increase our
gas-fired capacity at Huntly, Otahuhu and Stratford.  Continued free-riding
by those players (including the SOE, Genesis) will exacerbate our CO2
emissions and increase our dependence on finite resources of gas.  That
would be a truly stupid outcome.  Instead, the government should be
embracing wind power for the double solution it offers to the problems of
hydro-dependency and climate change".

Windflow Technology Ltd is presently raising $3 million from the general
public to fund the first stage of its local-manufacturing wind turbine
venture.  It has already raised about 80% of its minimum target of just
over $2 million.  The Windflow Investment Statement is available from:
http://www.windflow.co.nz/shareoffering.  The offer closes August 10th. 

-ends-

Further information: http://www.windflow.co.nz .

Above media release and an additional fact sheet are available at the
following web-address:
http://www.windflow.co.nz/latestnews/

Contact: Tim Armitage,  Armitage Consultancy  Tel: 03 351 8090, e-mail:
tim@armi.co.nz

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
sent to Positive Futures list by David.
David MacClement [davd @ ihug.co.nz] (remove spaces)
http://davd.tripod.com/GrRR-010727_titles.html#top
http://www.geocities.com/davd.geo/index.html#top
***********************************************

==^================================================================
EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://igc.topica.com/u/?aVxifP.aVEN4x
Or send an email To: positive-futures-unsubscribe@igc.topica.com
This email was sent to: csf@moscow.com

T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail!
http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register
==^================================================================