New Zealand's largest wind power generator, Meridian Energy, is investigating a site near Featherston for its potential as a wind farm.
South Wairarapa District Council have approved a resource consent application by the company to erect two wind monitoring masts near Pigeon Bush just out of Featherston.
South Wairarapa already has a
Genesis Energy-owned wind farm at Haunui, east of Martinborough.
Meridian spokesman Alan Seay said the monitoring masts were part of research the company was doing all over New Zealand investigating potential sites.
Installation of the masts did not mean there would definitely be a wind farm at Pigeon Bush but that the site may be considered in the future, if the data the masts collected showed it suitable.
"The masts have to be there for at least a year to get an idea of the full seasonal spread of winds," Mr Seay said.
He said there was no timetable as to when the masts would be erected.
Meridian is constructing a wind farm in the Tararua mountain range, at the northern end of the Manawatu Gorge, the turbines of which are now visible from Ashhurst.
Mr Seay said that when commissioned, the wind farm would be the biggest in New Zealand, with 55 turbines each three times the size of the machines at the Trust Power site, at the south end of the Manawatu Gorge near Woodville.
- WAIRARAPA TIMES-AGE (MASTERTON)
