A Guide to Wind Farms in Australia

Fact Checked

This Canstar Blue guide explores wind farms in Australia and how many wind farm turbines are currently in operation or in construction.

Wind energy is one of Australia’s biggest renewable energy resources, alongside solar and hydropower. If you’re interested in wind farm projects across Australia, continue reading.

How does wind power work?

Wind power is generated through wind turbines, where kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy. The propellers at the top of the tower catch the wind’s currents, which then spin gears connected to a generator. The generator is the final step, converting the power into electricity. Wind farms are constructed in elevated places, to take advantage of increased wind speeds, with many wind turbines having a build height of up to 160 metres.

How many wind turbines are in Australia?

As of 2023, there are currently more than 300 wind farm projects currently in operation, under construction or proposed in Australia, according to the Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner. However, this tally is only accounting projects that are bigger than one megawatt (MV) so it is possible that there may be more smaller projects in operation outside this number. According to the Clean Energy Council’s Clean Energy Australia report, seven new wind farms were commissioned in 2023.

When it comes to generation capacity, the CEC found that wind energy generated 29,891,946MW of electricity in 2022, which accounted for 35.6% of Australia’s renewable energy generation mix that year – the largest renewable energy source used. In terms of the total energy generation mix, wind energy was responsible for 12.8% of Australia’s energy in 2022, which the CEC claims was the equivalent of powering more than 6.5 million households in a year. However, new capacity added by wind farms was down in 2023 (957MW), when compared to 2022 (1.4GW).

Canstar Blue has listed specific information regarding wind farms in Australia, breaking them down by state, ownership and generation capacity.

Wind farms in New South Wales

There are currently 19 wind farms in NSW (operating and being constructed) with a generation capacity higher than 1MW. Canstar Blue has listed the operational projects and their generation below.

Source: Renewables Network Map

Wind farms in Victoria

Victoria has the largest number of wind farms, with 45 wind farms (operating and being constructed) with a generation capacity higher than 1MW. Canstar Blue has listed the operational projects and their generation below.

Source: Renewables Network Map

Wind farms in Queensland

QLD’s wind farm developments are still largely underway, with only five operational wind farms with a generation capacity higher than 1MW in 2023. There are at least another 39 projects proposed for the state however, with a further four farms already under construction.

Source: Renewables Network Map

Wind farms in South Australia

In SA there are currently 21 operational wind farms with a generation capacity higher than 1MW. The state has one farm under construction and a further 17 projects proposed. We have listed the operational projects and their generation below.

Source: Renewables Network Map

Wind farms in Western Australia

In WA there are currently 20 operational wind farms with a generation capacity higher than 1MW. The state has one farm under construction and a further 31 projects proposed. We have listed the operational projects and their generation below.

Source: Renewables Network Map

Wind farms in Tasmania

Tasmania is building its portfolio of wind farms, with 10 currently operational or being constructed, with a generation capacity higher than 1MW. Canstar Blue has listed the operational projects and their generation below.

Source: Renewables Network Map

Compare electricity plans with GreenPower add-on options

Looking to help support renewable energy generation in Australia? You might be interested in GreenPower options for your energy usage. This is a government-backed program that helps to incorporate energy generated from renewable sources, such as wind farms, into the electricity grid.

GreenPower is offered as an opt-in program and typically comes at an additional cost to consumers. Canstar Blue has listed some of the cheapest plans in the market that also offer GreenPower opt-ins. Please note, the estimated price may not include the cost of GreenPower. Always confirm with energy the retailer directly before making a purchase decision.

Can I sign up for wind power for my home?

The short answer is no. Power is generated through a range of avenues such as coal burning, solar panels and hydropower plants, which all feed into the grid to bring consumers electricity. And while you can help to support renewable energy generation by purchasing GreenPower opt-ins from eligible electricity providers, unless you are 100% off-grid for your power usage, the electricity you source from the grid will be a combination of all generation sources that feed into the grid.

Luckily, you don’t need a wind-only system to save on electricity costs. If you’re keen to slash those energy bills, follow the link below to see if you could switch to a cheaper power plan.

Original reporting by Kelseigh Wrigley
Image Source: Kampan/Shutterstock