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08Jun,201105:19PM

Mostpopulararticle Asixmonthstudyhasfoundthatthereismorethansufficientsupporttobuilda communitywindfarmintheNewEngland,andisrecommendingthatthisworknow proceed. Thisconclusionreflectstheviewsofwellover1,300communitymembersand stakeholders, accordingtoinitiativecoordinatorAdamBlakester. Themessagethatcomesthroughfromtheoverwhelmingmajorityofpeopleand organisationswas goforit!Theyfeelthattimeshavechangedandwenowneedto movebeyondcoalfiredelectricity. TheWalchaWindFarmCommunityForumheldinMarchthisyearwasnotwell attended,howeverthosethatdidattendwererelativelypositive. GrazierPeterBlomfieldsaidhethoughtitwasagreatidea. Ifyouthinkaboutthenextgenerationthenrenewable,cleanenergyisthewaytogo, MrBlomfieldsaid. Thisisawayforthelocalcommunitytohaveafinancialinvestmentinthatkindof renewableenergy. Anotherlocalgrazier,WistyHalloran,alsothoughtcommunityownershipofthewind farmwasanadmirablegoal,howevershedidhaveconcernsoverthemanagement ofvisualpollutioncausedbywindturbines. Thevisualeffectonthelandscape,particularlyinthewildernessareasofNew England,needstobeconsidered,saidMsHalloran. Thereisalsothepotentialforneighbourdisputes,asyourneighbourmaynotbe supportiveandwhilenoisepollutionsupposedlyonlycarriesforacoupleof kilometres,thevisualpollutioncancarrymuchfurther. MrBlomfieldisconfidenttheseissuescanbeovercomewithcarefulplanning. Whensomethinglikethisisbuiltthereisanenormousamountofengineeringwork thatgoesintoit,hesaid. FromtheinformationIhaveseen,windturbinescanbebuilttoreducetheimpacton neighboursasmuchaspossible. TheNewEnglandWindinitiativerecommendationisforaneightturbinecommunity windfarm,capableofproducingelectricityequivalentto25,000people(9000 dwellings) closetohalftheresidentialuseofthetablelandsregion.Morethan100 landholdershaveexpressedinterestinhostingtheturbines. Toachievethiswillrequirestrongcommunitybackingtoraisethenecessary$30m abitmorethantwicetheamountrecentlyinvestedinsmall scalesolarandwind powerintheNewEngland,MrBlakestersaid. Tomakesurethatthistrulyisawindfarmforourcommunity,wearerecommending themajorityofthesefundswillneedtocomefromlocalpeopleandorganisations. Therecommendedlegalstructuretoensurethisclearcommunityunderpinningisa hybridstructurethatblendstogetheraCooperative~forstrongcommunity governanceandleadership~whichwillbethemajorityownerofthewindfarm operator,anunlistedpubliccompanywhichwillhaveprofessionalleadership, expertiseandaminorityownershipstakebylargerinvestorsaswellasborrowingsif required. AQuickPollhasnowbeenlaunchedtogetcommentsandfeedbackonthesetwo keyrecommendations,MrBlakestersaid. Weneedtocheckwhetherourrecommendationsaccuratelymatchthebestwayto gofromhere,aswellasmakesurewestillhavethesupportofthecommunityand stakeholderstoproceed. Buildingacommunitywindfarmisaverysubstantialfirststeptocreatearegional energysystem,whichwasthestrongdesireexpressedconsistentlybyhundredsof stakeholdersandcommunitymembers. Theywouldliketoseearegionalenergysystemgovernedbylocalcommunitythat addressesenergyusage,efficiency,powergenerationanddistributionrightthrough toissuesofenergysecurity,storage,sustainabilityandeducation.
1.Windpowerpush 2.Sportshorts 3.Coogee'scolumn 4.Debutantesmakeasplash 5.Darktopapprentice 6.Walchaboysshine 7.Brisbaneshiversastoptemperaturenears... 8.Coogee'scolumn 9.Firstsurprise:avanishingact 10.TheBryceisRight

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stakeholderstoproceed. Buildingacommunitywindfarmisaverysubstantialfirststeptocreatearegional energysystem,whichwasthestrongdesireexpressedconsistentlybyhundredsof stakeholdersandcommunitymembers. Theywouldliketoseearegionalenergysystemgovernedbylocalcommunitythat addressesenergyusage,efficiency,powergenerationanddistributionrightthrough toissuesofenergysecurity,storage,sustainabilityandeducation. Thepollisonlineat:http://tinyurl.com/WindPoll,orcanbecompletedoverthephone bycontactingElizabethGardineron67787249orAdamBlakesteron67752501. FulldetailsofpreliminaryfindingsandrecommendationsfromtheNewEngland WindStudycanbefoundatwww.starfishenterprises.netorbyjoiningNewEngland WindonFaceBook.
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