Vestas, the world's biggest wind turbine manufacturer from Denmark, has just announced that it will be closing its last manufacturing plant in Portland, Australia "because the green market there is unviable". This comes after the Danish-based company last year closed a similar $15 million factory in Tasmania, laying off 65 staff.

You'd think that Australia was the perfect place for wind power - a massive continent with just 20 million people to go around, who could object to the odd windfarm?

These charts taken from the Australian Wind Energy Association website tell the story.

Although cumulatively rising fast, 2006 was a slow year for installation. The other point is Australia has some of the lowest electricity prices in the world and electricity consumption is growing at a staggering 3.2% per annum - amazing for a developed country.

In the medium term it seems that price competitiveness and fast-rising electricity demand, means wind will struggle to make a dent for some time in Australia.