A wind farm planned for the northern Kaimai Ranges could provide clean energy for up to 49,000 households in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions.

Auckland's Ventus Energy hopes to install 28 wind turbines with an output of 100MW on privately-owned farmland.

Ventus Energy director Glen Starr says a wind farm would ensure greater security of electricity supply for the region and provide construction and maintenance jobs, as well as reduce CO2 emissions.

"The company has been investigating the viability of a wind farm in this area since 2005 and is now consulting with local landowners, iwi, district councils and other interested parties.”

The site the company is looking at was privately owned and farmed by three land owners and the grid connection will be via the existing Transpower lines which pass over parts of the site.

He says a successful wind-farm in NZ must have a number of factors, such as a strong wind resource, be close to an existing electricity network, have a low and acceptable impact on the environment and the landscape, and be of sufficient scale.

'The sites we are looking at fit all criteria. Once we get the go ahead we will be looking at placing 28 wind turbines, 109 metres tall with a rotor diameter of between 130 and 142 metres, in place.”