Wind power is currently the cheapest source of large-scale renewable energy. It involves generating electricity from the naturally occurring power of the wind. Wind turbines capture wind energy within the area swept by their blades. The spinning blades drive an electrical generator that produces electricity for export to the grid.
Technological advances in the sector mean that wind turbines are now larger, more efficient and make use of intelligent technology. Rotor diameters and hub heights have increased to capture more energy per turbine. The advancing technology means that fewer turbines are needed to produce the same energy, and wind farms have increasingly sophisticated adaptive capability.
Wind was again Australia's leading source of clean energy in 2020, supplying 35.9 per cent of the country's clean energy and 9.9 per cent of Australia's overall electricity. The sector added more than 1 GW of new capacity for the first time in 2020, making it the second-straight record-breaking year for the sector.
Ten wind farms were commissioned in 2020, adding 1097 MW of new generating capacity, which was the highest amount added in the history of the Australian wind industry. At the end of 2020, 21 wind farms with a combined capacity of more than 4 GW were under construction or financially committed nationally.
projects commissioned in 2020
10projects under construction or due to start soon
21The largest project commissioned in 2020 was the 226 MW stage 1 of the Murra Warra Wind Farm in western Victoria. Other notable projects completed in 2020 include the 184 MW Warradarge Wind Farm in Western Australia and the 144 MW Cattle Hill Wind Farm in Tasmania.
You can view more detail on the projects that have been completed and are being constructed around the country on our project tracker page.
The majority of Australians support wind power. Even so, it is vitally important for wind farm companies to engage in good faith with people living in the vicinity of wind power projects.
To help promote a high standard of community engagement across the industry, the Clean Energy Council has developed a number of reports and guides which are available on our community engagement page.