A salute to wind power on its 30th birthday

By Andrew Bray
December 12 2017 - 9:00am
A toast to wind power on its 30th birthday
A toast to wind power on its 30th birthday

Wind energy in Australia turns 30 this year. Back in 1987, Australia’s first commercial wind farm – Salmon Beach Wind Farm near Esperance, Western Australia – began generating power. It was a baby by today’s standards, comprising six 60kW Australian-made wind turbines, each standing only 30m off the ground. Fast forward to 2017. Thirty years on and wind power across this continent has grown from those six wind turbines to more than 2000. The sector now contributes five per cent to Australia’s total power production and employs more than 1000 people.

Subscribe now for unlimited access.

$0/

(min cost $0)

or signup to continue reading

See subscription options

Get the latest Launceston news in your inbox

Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date.

We care about the protection of your data. Read our Privacy Policy.