A WIND farm at Kiata will start being built later this year after a new state government commitment.
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Wind farm developer Windlab is creating the 13-turbine farm, which will power about 23,000 homes.
The state government has now committed to buying some renewable energy certificates from the wind farm, giving it an additional revenue stream.
Certificates are allocated to wind farms as part of the national renewable energy target.
Producers of renewable energy can also sell the certificates to energy retailers.
Windlab chief executive Roger Price said the government support meant the project would definitely go ahead. ”We won a very competitive contract to supply large scale renewable energy certificates for 10 years to the state government,” he said.
“It gives the project certainty.”
Mr Price said construction would start later this year and finish in 2017.
“It will take between nine and 10 months to build,” he said.
“We are very excited about this deal – we completed the Coonooer Bridge Wind Farm earlier in the year and we demonstrated the benefit of that project to the community, so we are looking to do the same model at Kiata.
“About 30 Kiata residents will be equity owners in the project and they will participate in the project.”
Mr Price said the company would use Wimmera businesses for construction where possible.
“Where we can, we use as much Wimmera skills and labour as we can for the project,” he said.
“We would hope this project is a win-win for us and the community.”
Clean Energy Council policy manager Alicia Webb welcomed the announcement for Kiata.
”This is great news and we are starting to see more of a shift towards renewable energy in Victoria,” she said.
“It’s a great initiative.”
Ms Webb said the state government had ambitious targets for renewable energy, which was positive for the industry.
Energy Minister Lily D'Ambrosio said the government was rebuilding confidence in the industry.