Wind power is essential for Australia to meet its green energy targets — but we’re not even halfway there and the issue is becoming increasingly politicised.

A new climate battle is now raging, pitting nature conservation against wind farm construction. It’s fracturing communities and leading to old enemies forming new alliances against renewables. Misinformation about wind power is flourishing, and complex regulation is holding Australia back on its cheapest and quickest path to net zero.

Four Corners reporter Angus Grigg travels to Nundle, a small community in New South Wales where an ambitious proposal to build a wind farm is dividing residents.

In coal country he meets a climate change sceptic and environmentalist who are teaming up, and he investigates the next frontier for clean energy — giant wind turbines in the seas off Australia’s coastline.

00:00 - Renewables in Australia
02:40 - Almost one million dollars in rent
04:55 - Neighbours at war
12:36 - Hills of gold
19:12 - Deep in coal country
23:40 - A climate change debate
25:30 - Nuclear energy
31:10 - Giant offshore wind turbines
36:30 - Climate change skeptics
41:48 - Engineering for the future

This episode was originally broadcast as ‘Wind Wars’ on 10 June 2024 on ABC TV and ABC iview.

Read more about Four Corners’ investigation here: https://bit.ly/3yRIBDE

Four Corners is Australia’s premier investigations documentary series.

Follow Four Corners on Facebook:   / abc4corners  

Subscribe to the Four Corners weekly newsletter: https://www.abc.net.au/news/subscribe

Find out more at the Four Corners website: https://www.abc.net.au/news/programs/...

#4Corners #ABCNewsIndepth #ABCNewsAustralia