The “greenest” town in mainland Australia?

Verve Energy is investigating spending another $24 million to increase the generating capacity of the local wind farm by 13.8 MW. Albany Wind Farm is a wind power station near Albany, Western Australia. It has 12 wind turbines, with a generating capacity of 21 MW of electricity. The plan is to build another 6 turbines. In an average year the wind farm is produces about 65,000 MWh of electricity equivalent to 50 per cent of the City of Albany's electricity requirements or about 15,000 homes. This results in a lowering of greenhouse gas emissions by about 65,000 tonnes per year, as less coal and gas is burnt by Western Power in its large power stations. Verve Energy is currently exploring the potential to increase the size of the Albany Wind Farm by 13.8MW by installing another 6 wind turbines. The project, known as the Grasmere Wind Farm, will increase the proportion of renewable electricity supplied to Albany by 30 per cent, bringing the total renewable electricity supplied to the Albany up to 80%. No other town in mainland Australia has more renewable energy. As carbon constraints hobble other regions of Australia, the almost unlimited capacity of the Albany region to generate its own energy is sure to bring more people, more industry and more money to the town.