Don't leave energy future to your kids, says expert

17th August 2005

Don't leave it up to your kids to solve the problem of depleting energy sources and climate change, says James Glennie, chief executive of the New Zealand Wind Energy Association.

Mr Glennie was in Hastings to make a submission at hearings for the proposed Unison wind farm along the Titiokura Saddle.

A former oil company employee, his philosophy is now completely different.

"I feel passionately that the human race has got to change the way it does things," he said.

Along with the Unison plan, Hawke's Bay Wind Farms Ltd is also hoping to erect turbines at a site near Te Pohue. Mr Glennie saw many benefits for the farms.

"Wind can be a significant part of the New Zealand energy-generation mix and it can do that economically and on an environmentally sustainable basis."

What about the detractors of wind farms?

"Most people like wind energy. Not everyone is going to like the farms and that's the nature of the game. Bring on your views, let's hear them," he said.

Many have concerns about the visual impact of the turbines, the noise they generate and their apparent danger to New Zealand birds.

But Mr Glennie responds to the issue of noise by pointing out that a typical city street was 20 decibels louder than the maximum noise created by a wind turbine.

He said wind turbines in the wrong location could pose a threat to birds, but the NZWEA was there to ensure this didn't happen.

"Too often people lose perspective. For example, a single cat kills about 60 birds and rodents a year. A single off-shore wind turbine supplies 700 houses with electricity. "These houses would have around 200 cats, which will kill 12,000 birds. One wind turbine kills between two and six birds a year."

Mr Glennie used to work for gas giant Exxon Mobil and at an oil and gas investment banking company in Russia before winding up at the Financial Times in the UK.

"I thought, I want to do something more productive with my life than simply getting to the age of 65 and saying, 'oh, the world's completely dry of hydro-carbons'.

"I want to be a part of the solution. I like to think that what I'm doing, I'm doing with a bit of realism."

As CEO of the wind-energy association, Mr Glennie feels he is taking practical steps toward "saving the world".

With crude oil prices reaching an all-time high this week, people may be forced to think about the environment and consider some alternatives. Mr Glennie says no one thing is the key.

"Wind energy can provide about 1500 megawatts of electricity, which will provide about 10 to 15 percent of our total needs. But that's a few years from now."

In terms of the future, the secret was in the mix.

"All generation types should be explored and nothing should be ruled out, including nuclear energy."