THE Cape Town Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry has welcomed plans for a new wind farm to be built near Hopefield.

“This is one of the first responses to the new feed-in tariffs announced by the National Energy Regulator and we hope that there will be many more,” said Jeremy Wiley, President of the Chamber.

He said the feed-in tariffs made it possible to plan viable businesses in the alternate energy field. “What is even more important is that the incentive tariffs will be a means to tap into the enterprise, initiative, and powers of innovation found only in the private sector. I think that in a few years time we might by pleasantly surprised by the results.”

Generating electricity from the wind was a readily available technology and it was not surprising to find it in the forefront of the green energy industry but, ultimately, the almost unlimited energy in sunlight offered the best prospects for the future.

Other possible energy sources included geo-thermal heat, small hydro electricity schemes and burning methane from landfill and sewage works to produce power.

“South Africans are a resourceful, inventive people and I have no doubt that given the right encouragement we will find some surprising answers,” Wiley said.