New Zealand: Energy
Can oil crisis lead to the economic transformation we desperately need?
Fri 20 Mar 2026
COMMENT: The latest crisis has all the ingredients for the “wake-up call” we need to transform our economy to one fit for the future. But we thought that about COVID as well, writes Catherine Knight.
Govt finalises geothermal strategy and commits to $50m boost
Thu 19 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government has launched a plan to grow geothermal energy and committed a further $50 million from the Regional Infrastructure Fund to support early-stage projects and drive expansion of the sector.
LNG sold as insurance, but modelling points to a bigger role
Thu 19 Mar 2026
New Zealand’s gas market is heading for a sharp contraction whether the country sticks with domestic supply alone or introduces liquefied natural gas imports.
Oil shock tests Government’s balancing act
Tue 17 Mar 2026
The Government is trying to show it is on top of fuel security risk without giving the impression New Zealand is heading for a shortage.
Mayor stands by comments over AI factory cable
Tue 17 Mar 2026
By Matthew Rosenberg, Local Democracy Reporter | Invercargill mayor Tom Campbell is standing by his view that a new cable for a large AI data factory will not impact the environment at Ōreti Beach, despite a report saying otherwise.
'Power-hungry' AI data centre could push up electricity prices
16 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A proposed AI-focused data centre in Southland could become New Zealand’s second-largest electricity user, raising concerns it may drive up power prices and complicate efforts to decarbonise the national grid.
Renewables surge cuts power emissions, but oil dominates fossil fuel use
13 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand’s fossil fuel emissions fell in 2025 as strong renewable electricity generation reduced the need for gas-fired power, but oil consumption is rising and now accounts for a record share of fossil emissions.
Todd gets nod to drill first super-critical geothermal well
12 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Todd Energy is to make its sole oil drilling rig available to drill the first exploration well under the government’s $60 million super-critical geothermal resource exploration programme under a ‘preferred supplier’ agreement announced yesterday.
Japan eyes New Zealand as green hydrogen export hub
12 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A new partnership between major Japanese companies aims to explore exporting green hydrogen from New Zealand – but the economics of producing the energy-hungry fuel remain the biggest hurdle.
Methanex: a gauge of NZ’s gas decline
12 Mar 2026
Methanex’s latest earnings call offered a blunt reminder that the company’s shrinking New Zealand business is now less a stand-alone corporate story than a barometer of the country’s broader gas decline.
Upton on LNG: don’t make electricity consumers subsidise industrial gas
11 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Industrial gas users will be subsidised by electricity consumers unless they are also charged for access to the proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) import facility, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Simon Upton, says.
If the government is set on an LNG terminal, gas users, not electricity users, should pay
11 Mar 2026
By Christina Hood | COMMENT: It's increasingly clear that the government's narrative of LNG as ‘dry year electricity insurance’ really doesn't stack up.
Hormuz crisis critical to New Zealand
10 Mar 2026
By Nathan Surendran | COMMENT: Why the Hormuz crisis is a symptom, not the disease – and what it means for New Zealand.
Renewables streak ends as thermal nudges back in
10 Mar 2026
A 20-week stretch in which renewable generation stayed at or above 96% of New Zealand’s electricity mix came to an end in the week to March 1, as thermal generation edged higher and wholesale prices lifted from the unusually low levels seen through much of the summer.
Funding first: Genesis reinforces the balance sheet
5 Mar 2026
Genesis Energy’s $400 million equity raise landed alongside a record first half, but the capital decision rather than the earnings headline is the more revealing signal about how the company intends to navigate the next phase of the build cycle.
Gisborne leads NZ in solar battery uptake as resilience drives demand
4 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Battery storage is rapidly moving from add-on to mainstream in New Zealand’s residential solar market, with 2025 data showing stark regional differences in uptake, according to new analysis.
Govt plan to encourage new energy investment won’t cut costs for ordinary Kiwis
26 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | While gentailers and major energy users have welcomed the Government’s plan to leverage public sector demand to drive new energy projects, an expert says it is unlikely to reduce prices for ordinary people.
Gas security fund panel named – but projects still hush-hush
26 Feb 2026
The Government’s $200m Gas Security Fund has attracted interest from “several” entities, but officials are refusing to disclose who is circling or what types of projects are being put forward, leaving the market to take the programme’s credibility largely on trust.
Mercury ramps up renewable investment with $1b pipeline
25 Feb 2026
Mercury is accelerating investment in wind, geothermal and hydro assets, reinvesting $270 million — half its half-year earnings — into new and existing renewable generation.
Government invests $200m towards Genesis Energy's $400m capital raise
23 Feb 2026
The Government has confirmed it will buy up to $200 million of new Genesis Energy shares as part of a capital raise announced by the company this morning.
Govt’s own modelling shows LNG leads to higher electricity prices than other solutions
19 Feb 2026
By Christina Hood | COMMENT: According to modelling conducted by Concept Consulting for MBIE, either developing the Tariki gas storage facility or managing electricity demand would deliver lower wholesale electricity prices than the Government’s preferred solution of an LNG import terminal.
Renewables could meet energy gap without LNG imports: report
18 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Importing liquefied natural gas to support electricity supply could lock households and businesses into higher energy costs for decades, while cheaper and more secure alternatives are already available, according to a new report from the New Zealand Green Building Council.
Flawed decision-making around taxing electricity to fund LNG import terminal
16 Feb 2026
By Simon Orme | COMMENT: The Government's decision to back an LNG import terminal exemplifies an egregious failure in public policy and energy sector governance.
Lawyers seek answers on climate impacts of LNG import facility
13 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Lawyers for Climate Action has written to Climate Change and Energy Minister Simon Watts warning that the Government's plan for an LNG import terminal could be in conflict with New Zealand’s climate obligations and emissions reduction targets.
LNG plan risks fossil fuel dependency: Environment Commissioner
11 Feb 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Importing liquefied natural gas risks creating a “new path dependency on fossil fuel” unless LNG is ring-fenced for use only in the electricity system and only during extended periods of hydro-electricity water shortages, says the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Simon Upton.
Govt backs LNG imports
10 Feb 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The Government will rush to put in place contracts for the construction of a liquefied natural gas import facility by mid-year, claiming it will smooth electricity price volatility and underpin investment in renewable energy projects.
LNG: a rational choice compared to unpalatable alternatives
10 Feb 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | COMMENT: By deciding to underwrite the private construction of a liquefied natural gas import facility in Taranaki, the Government has made a rational choice in favour of energy security and affordability.
Hydrogen plant to start construction
10 Feb 2026
Construction is set to start this month on Hiringa Energy’s long delayed green hydrogen project in South Taranaki, after years of consenting fights that culminated in the Court of Appeal rejecting Greenpeace’s challenge in late 2023.
Govt backs fusion research as part of long-term clean energy push
4 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government is investing up to $35 million in fusion energy research through a loan to New Zealand start-up OpenStar Technologies, saying investment could strengthen New Zealand’s energy security.
Govt weighs LNG backstop as gas decline accelerates
28 Jan 2026
Liquefied natural gas imports are moving from a back-pocket idea to an active procurement process, with ministers expected to make decisions soon on whether – and how – to add LNG as an emergency backstop for New Zealand’s tightening gas and electricity system.
Shifting peak power use could save NZ $3 billion, report finds
27 Jan 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Almost a quarter of New Zealand’s peak electricity demand could be shifted to off-peak hours, saving the country $3 billion in power generation and infrastructure to meet peak demand, according to new analysis from EECA.
NZ hydrogen regulation to catch up with the world
18 Dec 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The government has announced a regulatory reset for New Zealand’s emerging clean tech hydrogen sector.
Could tidal energy one day power NZ?
18 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New research suggests Aotearoa holds some of the world’s strongest tidal-stream energy potential – enough to generate up to 93% of today’s electricity use – but one expert cautions that extracting energy at such a scale could have significant impacts and remains highly uncertain.
Hydro increases overall renewable electricity generation in September quarter
12 Dec 2025
The September quarter saw 89.4% of all electricity generated from renewable sources, with hydro, geothermal and solar leading the charge, according to new data from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
Gentailers push back hard on Electricity Authority’s plan
12 Dec 2025
The four major generator-retailers have pushed back strongly against the Electricity Authority’s proposals to overhaul non-discrimination and price-consistency rules, arguing the proposed regime is built on “perceived risks” rather than evidence and could inadvertently raise retail electricity prices.
Neighbours fume over plans to axe trees for solar farm
11 Dec 2025
Diane McCarthy, Local Democracy Reporter | Whakatāne District Council has thrown its support behind residents of a country lane distressed about Genesis Energy’s plans to axe their trees.
Market rewards firming over renewables in gentailer split
3 Dec 2025
A clearer valuation divide is emerging across the gentailer sector, with the market increasingly rewarding companies positioned for flexibility and firming rather than renewable build-out.
Tribunal warns govt geothermal strategy risks Treaty breach
2 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The government's geothermal development strategy risks breaching the Treaty of Waitangi, according to a report from the Waitangi Tribunal released last week.
North Canterbury solar farm consent to be considered in February
1 Dec 2025
David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter | A Hurunui District Council hearings panel will consider a consent application for solar farm near Waipara in February, while Environment Canterbury has already granted consents which were not notified.
Energy outlook shows complex picture of NZ energy transition
1 Dec 2025
Simpson Grierson’s latest Energy Outlook 2025 paints a more complicated picture of New Zealand’s energy transition than the Government’s public narrative of momentum and accelerated delivery.
‘Highly uncertain’ ETS hampers Genesis biomass plans
28 Nov 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | “Highly uncertain” New Zealand carbon prices and market settings are identified as a commercial threat by Genesis Energy to its planned use of biomass to replace coal and gas at its Huntly power station by 2028.
Revenue from oil royalties falls 40% as production collapses
27 Nov 2025
Government revenue from New Zealand’s oil, gas and minerals sector fell sharply in 2024–25 as petroleum production slumped across most fields, according to new Mining Industry Statistics from New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals.
Cheaper power and lower emissions for Chatham Islands funded by ETS revenue
26 Nov 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has hailed the success of a wind turbine project for the Chatham Islands paid for by Emissions Trading Scheme revenue from a fund the Coalition Government has since canned.
NZ’s energy system at a crossroads – report
21 Nov 2025
A new report says New Zealand’s rapid shift toward a 95% renewable electricity system is at a critical turning point, urging faster consenting, stronger firming solutions and better grid planning.
New partnership to fast-track grid connections for major renewable and storage projects
21 Nov 2025
Powerco Transmission Services (PTS) has signed a new agreement with Kākāriki Renewables to streamline delivering large-scale wind, solar, and battery projects across New Zealand, in a move intended to accelerate the country’s transition to a low-emissions energy system.
Southland windfarm plan moves through Fast Track process
19 Nov 2025
By Matthew Rosenberg, Local Democracy Reporter | A $1.1 billion Southland windfarm proposal has reared its head at a regional council after facing rejection earlier this year.
Act-NZ First split over future of the energy sector
14 Nov 2025
Act leader David Seymour has set out an energy policy platform that diverges sharply from coalition partner NZ First, arguing New Zealand must accept coal-fired backup generation, consider nuclear power, remove political interference from the electricity sector and sell down the government’s majority stakes in the gentailers.
Regulator signs off on deal to retain Huntly capacity
11 Nov 2025
The Commerce Commission has authorised the Huntly Firming Option (HFO), allowing Contact Energy, Meridian Energy and Mercury NZ to pay Genesis Energy to keep one of its ageing Rankine units available as backup generation until December 2035.
Govt gas expansion 'climate vandalism' – Greens
7 Nov 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Green Party has labelled the Government’s move to broaden the scope of its $200 million fossil gas investment fund as vandalism, accusing Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of breaking trust with New Zealanders.
Here comes the sun: solar surge gathers pace
4 Nov 2025
More than $700 million of new solar investment advanced last week, underscoring the pace of the renewable buildout.
Disestablishing Environment Ministry 'too risky', say environmental advocates
Wed 18 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government's plan to fold the Ministry for the Environment into a 'mega ministry' is fraught with risk, according to separate submissions from the Environmental Defence Society, Forest & Bird and Environment Network Manawatū.
NZ–Ireland farm emissions deal labelled 'Greenwash Alliance'
Fri 20 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A renewed research partnership between New Zealand and Ireland to tackle agricultural emissions is being promoted as a step forward for climate innovation – but Greenpeace says it risks becoming a distraction from meaningful cuts.
Annual emissions fell to lowest in 15 years in Sept 2025
5 Feb 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions fell to their lowest annual total in the year to September 2025 since records began 2010, according to Statistics New Zealand data published this morning.
$30m airline fund risks ‘burning public money’ without lasting benefit – expert
Fri 20 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A $30 million government package to support regional air routes risks delivering poor value for money while increasing emissions, according to transport strategist Tim Adriaansen.
Tairāwhiti needs proper Govt support to heal the land – not empty announcements for political optics
24 Feb 2026
OPINION: The Government’s answer to Tairāwhiti’s severe erosion crisis – that the region apply for modest, contestable funding rounds – while rejecting the region's own land transition business case, leaves our long-term resilience hanging in the balance, writes Manu Caddie.
Rule changes could reshape corporate emissions strategies
6 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand organisations may need to rethink how they manage and report electricity-related emissions as proposed global accounting changes take shape, according to a new report.
