Glossary
AER (Alternative Energy Requirement
abbrev. Alternative Energy Requirement: The AER programme was launched by the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources in 1996 and was the first step towards a market support for wind energy as part of the Department's programme to promote the generation of electricity from renewable resources.
The programme involved the tendering for contracts of certain fixed amounts of capacity, by potential renewable energy generators. Unfortunately, many of those who won contracts tendered bids that were too low. Consequently, a considerable number of wind farms never were built. The last round of competitive tendering occured in 2005.