Gippsland Water will continue to explore the possibility of a wind farm at Dutson Downs, following initial community consultation undertaken earlier this year.
The consultation sought to find out how customers and locals felt about the idea of a wind farm at the site, south-east of Sale.
Managing director Sarah Cumming said while there was majority support, no decision to build a wind farm had been made.
“Our early engagement showed a real appetite for more information from the community and our customers,” Ms Cumming said.
Ms Cumming said wind generation could be a significant addition to Gippsland Water’s growing renewable energy portfolio.
“Our operations will run entirely on renewable energy by 2025 and we’re committed to net zero emissions by 2030,” Ms Cumming said.
“We’ve already made major investments in solar, biogas and hydroelectric energy and a wind farm could bolster our renewable capability and reliability.
“It could also help to put downward pressure on customers’ bills. Our next step is to investigate the financial viability of a wind farm.
“We’ll keep the community up-to-date with what we learn, as our investigations progress and we’ll share future opportunities to get involved.”
An insights report detailing the findings from the early community engagement has been published in full on Gippsland Water’s website.
The report suggests some of the things that should be further explored include financial viability, environmental impacts, design and local impact.
Gippsland Water expects to be able to report back within the next 12 months.
For more information and to read the report, visit: gippswater.com.au/windfarm
01/09/2023
