The company behind the largest approved wind farm in the Hunter is applying to expand the project.
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Ark Energy will hold a public information session on Wednesday night at Mt Olive Community Centre after confirming it is preparing to lodge a scoping report for stage two of the Bowmans Creek Wind Farm.
The scoping study is the first step in seeking planning approval for the extension, which would increase the Bowmans Creek plant from 54 to 75 turbines.
The Independent Planning Commission gave the green light to the project's $569 million first stage two months ago.
"[It has] proximity to existing electricity transmission networks, topography, wind resources, access to the regional road network and avoidance of major environmental constraints," the commission said in its ruling.
Ark Energy head of development Martin Poole said at the time that the approval was an exciting achievement for the company and the state.
The approved wind farm includes turbine towers up to 220 metres high. The project attracted more than 50 objections, but the IPC found the proposed site, 10 kilometres west of Muswellbrook, was suitable for renewable energy generation.
The site is inside the state government's designated Hunter-Central renewable energy zone.
Ark said in a project update late last month that the extension would boost the renewable energy output of the wind farm from 335 megawatts to about 455. The company plans to lodge the scoping report before July.
Michael Parris
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
