There's a definite change in the air when it comes to the location of wind farms

Wind turbines stand at the Capital Wind Farm, operated by Infigen Energy, as sheep graze in a field in Bungendore, New South Wales, Australia, on Thursday, July 24, 2014. The Australian government's A$10 billion ($9.4 billion) clean-energy bank, the Clean Energy Finance Corp., and Colonial First State Global Asset Management plan to create a fund allowing institutions to invest in the industry. Photographer: Mark Graham/Bloomberg

Richard Curran

Is the wind starting to change direction a little when it comes to our determination to meet policy targets on renewable energy? Three developments in recent weeks suggest so.

1. Environment minister Alan Kelly is preparing new planning guidelines for wind farms in which it is speculated that he will push the allowable distance from a turbine to a dwelling to around 700 metres. He is also considering a height to distance matrix as turbines can now reach blade heights of 169m.