The "holy grail" of 2005 has been the hunt for inexpensive, clean, renewable energy. One of the most publicised sources of energy is wind.

Speaking recently at the World Wind Energy Conference in Melbourne, Premier Steve Bracks proclaimed that the State Government would "go it alone" on renewable energy.

Bracks said this was the Victorian Government's response to the Federal Government's apathy towards the mandatory renewable energy targets.

It was also at this conference that Bracks excitedly announced that he proposed to increase the number of windfarms in Australia 10-fold, or renewable energy sources by 10 per cent over the next five years. Part of this sagacious policy would be to force retailers to buy electricity from renewable sources, such as wind.

The federal Department of Environment and Heritage estimates that the cost for retailers would be $1 billion.

Even Victorian Environment Minister John Thwaites has conceded that this plan would cause an increase in electricity prices.

For any energy source to be viable, it must be able to be produced on demand. The storage of electricity as a technology is still in its infancy.
One of the major drawbacks to wind is its unpredictability as a power source and that it cannot be stored.

New Zealand wind-power generators are facing increased regulation after a study found that erratic fluctuation in the power that wind energy generated had the capacity to disrupt the entire country's electricity supply.

So concerning in fact, was this latest revelation that it prompted the New Zealand-based Transpower chief executive to issue this warning:

"If you're considering investing in wind at the moment, you need to be thinking very carefully as to whether you're actually going to be able to get your power away."

Not only is the reliability of wind as an energy source still contentious, but the governing rules and regulations are still under debate because of the inability to properly forecast the demands wind generation will place on the power system.

The onus is on the wind industry itself to prove to consumers that wind is a viable and cost-effective product to invest in. Simply waiting for the government subsidies to roll in while expecting people to invest blind faith in the virtue of wind power won't do.

Dr Johannes Teyssen and Martin Fuchs, authors of a 2005 report into wind energy in Germany, also uncovered some disturbing truths.

There are three points that resoundingly debunk the myth that wind energy is efficient and practical. First, the more wind farms Germany installs, the less effective it becomes in displacing other generators.

Second, there are massive subsidy costs, extensive new power lines, back-up and cost requirements.

Third, comments that 48,000 megawatts of wind energy will only effectively replace 2000 megawatts of conventional generators.

Under the State Government's proposal, Victorians would be paying more for something and getting less of it. Wind power cannot compete with fossil-fuel generation unless there is effectively a subsidy, in this case provided by the Victorian taxpayer.

Alan Moran, from the Melbourne-based Institute of Public Affairs, asserts correctly that this form of industry welfare is inconsistent and ridiculous.

If Bracks wishes to subsidise the wind industry to generate more jobs, then, as Moran points out, why not the manufacturing or computer chip industries?

So far, it seems that the only proven product wind turbines are capable of generating is community division.

The Federal Government's announcement that it plans to set up a National Code for Windfarms is vital.

It is now incumbent on state governments to get behind the code and give it their full backing.

Instead of dividing communities such as Bald Hills, Toora and Dollar, as has happened in South Gippsland, due process and proper consultation would be mandatory.

Wind power should not be the only fixture examined in the renewable energy debate. Solar power, further hydro, liquefied natural gas, thermal and biomass are just some of the other options that warrant further study.

The need to find a cleaner, greener way to generate energy has wide community consensus.

But if the result sees regional communities forced to bear the entire burden of renewable energy for Australia, then dissent, not progress, will prevail.

Russell Broadbent is the Liberal MHR for McMillan and chairman of the Government backbench committee on environment and heritage.