N. P. Power Pty Ltd wants to build and operate a 240MW wind farm on the eastern shore of Lake Echo in the Central Highlands.

If built, that is understood to be the state's largest.

EPA board acting chairman Ian Abernethy said it had weighed up the potential impact on the threatened wedge-tailed eagle population against social and economic benefits for the region of the proposed Cattle Hill wind farm.

``The usual benefits associated with economic activity of this magnitude are substantial but the value of the proposal's contribution to a low carbon economy is the major consideration,'' Mr Abernethy said.

``The board has therefore required conditions be imposed which ensure that wind farm eagle mortality will be reliably and comprehensively monitored and that the director is able to reduce the risks to eagles in the event that mortalities are excessive.''

That includes an ability to immediately shutdown turbines.

Central Highlands Council will now consider the proposal and conditions specified by the EPA board at its December 12 meeting.

Mayor Deirdre Flint said the community had given in-principle support for the project at a meeting held months ago.

``Certainly it would be a boost for our economy when bearing in mind there's been a downturn in several areas including the forestry industry,'' she said.

N. P. Power project manager Shane Bartel was unavailable for comment yesterday.

However, he said earlier: ``If approved, this project would take approximately 18 months to construct and power an average of over 60,000 homes.''

Commercial wind farms already operate in the North-West (Woolnorth) and on King Island (Huxley Hill) with a number of privately-owned wind turbines in the state.

Hydro Tasmania has approval for the Musselroe wind farm project.