Aussie Valley Site For Proposed Solar Power Plant

ENOUGH electricity to power more than 40 homes in the region daily could be generated from a solar power plant proposed in the Goomburra Valley.

The Tudor Valley Road site owner Mark Johnstone has pitched a station to the council which would boast four, 35-tonne solar receiving dishes.

Mayor Ron Bellingham said he was sure the 22m by 24m dishes would cause much debate when they were discussed in the general meeting next week.

"There is some concern about the visibility of the dishes," he said.

The mayor said he believed it was an exciting technological development for the region.

"I have no doubt in my mind about trying to move to a less pollutant means of generating power," he said.

If approved the power generated by the structures, which would be visible from the New England Highway, would be fed back into Warwick's main grid.

An Ergon Energy spokesman said flowing power into an energy retailer like Ergon was an unusual concept.

"If you are trying to feed back into the grid it can become a very technical issue," he said.

"There are voltage limitations; it's not as simple as strapping something to the nearest power line.

"This part is crucial if the proposal is to be successful."