WWF demands Yes 2 Wind!
Today WWF-New Zealand, part of the global conservation network, is calling for the West Wind project to go ahead. The
RMA hearings for this wind farm development commenced today.
“This is a nationally significant proposal. Its success or failure will be the turning point in future electricity
generation – carbon or non-carbon polluting. Wellingtonians already support wind generation, with UMR research taken in
2004 showing 58% of people choose wind power as their preferred generation option to meet New Zealand’s future
electricity needs,” says Melanie Hutton, Climate Change Programme Leader for WWF-New Zealand.
“This transition is absolutely vital for New Zealand. Avoiding dangerous climate change can only be achieved by
significantly and rapidly reducing carbon emissions into our atmosphere. Wind generation is critical for this.
“Everyone jokes about Wellington being windy, and now we have an opportunity to harness this clean resource in an
economical and sustainable way. This is an opportunity to ensure a secure supply of energy without the need to be
dependent on international imports of oil and the carbon polluting alternative of coal fired electricity.
“Now is the time to recognise that the majority of people say ‘Yes 2 Wind!’. We need to listen to them and ensure
climate friendly energy solutions get developed, and get developed now.
“Project West Wind gives us a tangible icon that’s absolutely positively appropriate to the city.”
The proposed wind farm, known as Project West Wind, will have up to 70 wind turbines with a total capacity of up to 210
megawatts (MW). It will generate electricity to power all the homes in Wellington city, Lower Hutt and Porirua.