Robert LePage

Where did you get the idea that the article was inspired by fossil fuel companies? I don't see the connection? the coal and oil companies have never said anything about renewables because they have never needed to. They already have more business than they can handle and renewables have not affected the market at all.

As for the main premise of the article, there is no doubt the grass roots opposition to wind farms is growing - whether that is a good or bad thing is for someone else to judge. However, it does mean that the 20 per cent target for renewables by 2020 is going to be very difficult to meet..

Robert LePage:

Then there is my best mate "Tas", he's full of bullet holes (true story), he wont go back either; he rekons the cops are too dangerous! So there are a lot of reasons normal folk stay clear of Tasmania; Gees I having trouble spelling it!

Oh dear Max, You missed that other myth that says Climate change is NOT happening.

Another windfarms are bad article. Worse than coal?

In SA last financial year electricity generated by wind farms in SA amounted to 3,349 GWh, or 26% of the total supply. Natural gas was 50% and coal 24%.

Some desperate self interest by the Nimby's is the greatest threat.

Cheryl

Hate to burst your balloon on this one but the 26 per cent of power being generated by wind in SA is only because the state can buy and sell power from the rest of the Eastern states network. Wind still accounts for a very small portion of the wind overall (3 per cent) on the eastern state grid, so changes in SA's wind power load can easily be compensated for by importing power. Same thing happens in Denmark, incidentally, and Germany.

To do 26 per cent of the entire Eastern states grid would otherwise require serious changes to the network. Remember that you are talking about 26 per cent on average, so for long periods the load would be up past the 70 per cent mark and that would require lots of backup. Australia is too far from other grids to easily import power at crucial moments, so we will require backup gas plants - lots of them.

But till its proven safe how can such generators of low frequency noise be allowed. Once again wildlife is being sacrificed for air-conditioners.