News

Jan 2010
Pykes Hill Wind farm planning application lodged

Future Energy has lodged a planning application for Pykes Hill Wind Farm with the Moorabool Shire Council on the 13th January. The application is a proposal for three 2MW wind turbines, located approximately 5 km north-east of Ballan. For more information visit the Pykes Hill Wind Farm project website.

Nov 2009
Hepburn Wind welcomes its 1000th member

Hepburn Wind continues to increase its membership base recently welcoming its 1000th member, Hana Savidge-Walker, who was presented with a commemorative Share Certificate by Geoff Howard MP and Vicki Horrigan, Director. Hepburn Wind has now raised over $7 million from member investments, and combined with a Sustainability Victoria grant and a loan facility from Bendigo Bank brings the total committed to the project to almost $11.3 million.

Negotiations and project planning for turbine supply and installation, grid connection, and sale of the power to an energy retailer are well advanced. For more information visit hepburnwind.com.au

Oct 2009
Environment Protection and Heritage Council - releases the ‘National Wind Farm Development Guidelines – Public Consultation Draft’

Draft National Wind Farm Development Guidelines have been released for public consultation
by the Environment Protection and Heritage Standing Committee (EPHSC) to provide a basis for discussion and provide communities and industry an opportunity to help shape a best practice approach to wind farm developments in Australia.

The guidelines were developed in response to the Report on Environmentally and Socially
Responsible Wind Farm Development, which identified the need for a national framework which
would provide consistency and transparency in wind farm developments and are intended to complement existing regulatory arrangements.

Comments on these guidelines can be provided from 28 October 2009 until 16 December 2009 with the final draft of the guidelines to be considered by the EPHSC in April 2010, and thereafter by the Environment Protection and Heritage Council. A copy of the guidelines can be found at www.ephc.gov.au

Sept 2009
Solar energy facilities now a permitted use in Victoria’s Farming Zones

Recent changes have been made to the Victoria Planning Provisions (VPP) and planning schemes via Amendment VC60. The VPP now states that a renewable energy facility is recognised as a use under the planning scheme and as an activity that is permitted (permit required) in all appropriate zones. Appropriate zones include the Farming, Rural Conservation, Public Conservation and Resource Zones.

This amendment now includes solar energy facilities as a renewable energy facility. Solar energy facilities previously required a rezoning application to be a permitted use in Farming Zones. As a result of this amendment a solar energy facility now only needs a planning permit from Council or VCAT. For more information visit dse.vic.gov.au

July 2009
VCAT Upholds Development Approval for 28MW Mt Pollock Wind Farm

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal has endorsed the July 2008 decision of the Surf Coast Shire Council to allow the development of a 28MW (14 turbine) wind arm at Mt Pollock, 10km north-east of Winchelsea in Victoria. When completed the wind farm will produce around 85,000MWh of renewable energy annually, equivalent to the power needs of 16,000 average households.

The project was developed by Future Energy on behalf of International Power (Australia) Pty Ltd who are now able to proceed with the construction of the wind farm at their discretion.

The VCAT panel held hearings over several days in March 2009 at which all parties were able to present their arguments, and they also visited the proposed Mt Pollock site on two occasions. Apart from considering objections to the development from several local residents, the panel were also asked by International Power to consider amendments to several of the conditions imposed in the original permit.

After careful consideration, the panel found no reason to revoke the permit, and accepted some of the proposed amendments to the permit conditions. A new permit containing the modified conditions will be issued by the Surf Coast Shire Council in due course.

The Mt Pollock Development Approval is the second approval obtained by Future Energy to construct a wind farm in Victoria. Several other wind farm projects are in the company’s development pipeline, with two further planning applications expected to be lodged later this year.

June 2009
Success In Sight for Hepburn Wind Community Wind Farm Project
Hepburn Wind – the cooperative behind Australia’s first community owned wind farm - is confident of raising a further $1 million from members over the next four weeks so that the order for two wind turbines can be placed. This may seem ambitious, but having already raised over $4 million from its 700 members during the world’s worst global economic crisis, the Board of Hepburn Wind has every reason to believe the target will be met.

Just last month the project received a significant boost when a Melbourne charitable trust agreed to invest $1.5m, and Bendigo Bank has already committed to provide debt finance to the project. Finalisation of grid connection and power purchase arrangements are well under way, and the preferred turbine supplier has promised an exceptionally quick delivery and installation schedule once the order is placed. Even the Federal Government is helping by legislating a substantially higher renewable energy target – 20% by 2020 – which will make the energy from the wind farm more valuable, while the dollar/Euro exchange rate (which affects the turbine price) has improved in recent weeks.

With all this positive momentum, Hepburn Wind has high hopes that its wind farm will begin generating over 12,000MWh annually of clean renewable energy before Easter next year. For more information visit www.hepburnwind.com.au
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May 2009
Federal Budget Annouces Clean Energy Initiative (CEI)
The Rudd Government will invest $1.6 billion over six years to help establish 1000MW of solar power station developments under the newly announced Solar Flagships Program.
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April 2009
Solenco 1 REDP application under evaluation
Solar Energy Company Pty Ltd (SEC), a subsidiary of Future Energy, lodged its application on 15 April for REDP grant funding to build Australia’s first solar thermal power station near Mildura. SEC was advised in May that its Solenco 1 application met all eligibility requirements and was about to be evaluated against the various merit criteria. Since then the Federal Government has announced that a new body, Renewables Australia, will be created which will take over the former REDP process, and a new solar power program – the Solar Flagships initiative – will be launched. SEC is currently waiting for more information on how these changes may affect its grant application. For more information visit the Solenco 1 project website.
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April 2009
REDP grant application for Solenco 1 lodged
Solar Energy Company Pty Ltd (SEC), a subsidiary of Future Energy, lodged its application on 15 April for REDP grant funding to build Australia’s first solar thermal power station near Mildura. The REDP scheme has been established by the Federal Government to provide grants that will assist in demonstrating the potential of new renewable energy technologies at a commercial scale. For more information visit the Solenco 1 project website.
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Mar 2009
Heat on the Hill - 4Corners
Liz Jackson investigates the relentless lobbying campaign conducted by environmentalists and industry to influence the governments response to climate change...
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Feb 2009
Wind now leads EU power sector - European Wind Energy Association
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Feb 2009
EurekaReport Article: Wind Power to the People
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Feb 2009
Article in Green Power Today
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Jan 2009
New staff members join the Future Energy team
Future Energy welcomes Irene Perkoulidis as their new Office Manager
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Dec 2008
Hepburn Wind investment tops $4 million
700 people become part of history in the making, applying for shares to a value of $4 million
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Oct 2008
Future Energy welcomes new Director and shareholder
Future Energy is proud to have Adrian Nelson join the team
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Feb 2008
Winchelsea Wind Farm Permit Issued
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Oct 2007
Article about Future Energy in The Age
Managing Director, David Shapero, has feature Profile in The Age
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