Wind power in New Zealand generates a small but rapidly growing proportion of the country's electricity. Having only become an established generation source in the late 1990s, as of 2012, wind power accounts for 622 MW of installed capacity and nearly 5 percent of electricity generated in the country.
New Zealand is right in the path of the Roaring Forties, creating an excellent resource for wind generation. The funneling effect of Cook Strait and the Manawatu Gorge exacerbate the resource's potential, making the Lower North Island the main region for wind generation - 70 percent of the nation's current installed capacity lies within this region, with some turbines recording over 50 percent capacity factor in this area.
Read more about Wind Power In New Zealand: Generation Capacity and Expansion, Wind Resources, Acceptance, Summary of Wind Power Generation For 2007, Individual Wind Turbines, Coping With Intermittency, See Also
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