A private company has announced plans to build a $300 million
wind-farm in Hawkes Bay.
The 80-turbine project is proposed for private farmland near Te
Pohue, just out of Napier.
Its backers say it will provide crucial electricity for the region,
and a job boost for the local economy.
The 60-80 turbines will generate approximately 200-plus megawatts of power, enough to power up to 100,000 homes.
The new turbines will cover half of Reece Whitelock 3000 acres farm.
"I think its the way to go, we don't want to see any more dams on rivers and coal fired stations of anything like that. They are a renewable source of energy that lets us farm like we always have done," says Whitelock.
Hawkes bay Wind Farm Limited, which is behind the plans, is a private company made up of local businessmen and wind farm developers.
They say it's success will be reliant on securing carbon credits from the government's Kyoto protocol.
The company will lodge a resource consent application with the council next month, the public then get to have their say on them matter.
If all goes to plan they will be generating electricity by early 2007.
