New Zealand: Energy
BP faces shareholder challenge over carbon targets
11 Dec 2018
BP, Chevron and ExxonMobil face a shareholder challenge to set carbon targets in line with the Paris Agreement, as a green group seeks to repeat its success in pressuring Shell to set environmental benchmarks.
New round opens for Taranaki permits
29 Nov 2018
The process to issue new exploration permits in the last part of the country in which they are allowed is under way.
Biofuel land grab will squeeze nature’s space
22 Nov 2018
Growing enough greenery to provide cleaner fuel and slow climate change will need a biofuel land grab: a 10 to 30-fold rise in land devoted to green crops.
Dead fish new power behind high-polluting cruise ships
20 Nov 2018
Waste fish parts will be used to power ships in a new initiative to use green energy for polluting cruise liners.
NZ scientists work on safer batteries
16 Nov 2018
New Zealand researchers have created a new plant-based electrolyte that could be the key to making safer and more environmentally friendly batteries.
EECA wants feedback on $14m energy fund
14 Nov 2018
The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority is seeking feedback on its proposed $14 million energy levy-funded activities for next year.
Oil and gas exploration ban becomes law
8 Nov 2018
New oil and gas exploration is now banned from New Zealand’s waters and from most of its land.
Big hydropower dams unsustainable, says study
8 Nov 2018
Large-scale hydropower dams are unsustainable in the developing world, according toi new research.
Compressed air could be our energy friend
30 Oct 2018
If energy storage were available at sufficiently low cost and high performance, renewable energy would rapidly displace all other generation forms.
Oil countries will have to change their ways
30 Oct 2018
A changing energy system is posing “critical questions” for many of the world’s largest oil and gas producing countries, the International Energy Agency says.
Hydrogen offers hope for island dwellers
29 Oct 2018
Hydrogen power and renewable energy offer hope to islanders and others in remote communities who now have to rely on fossil fuels.
Offshore wind farms could tame hurricanes
25 Oct 2018
When high winds meet tall sails in the right place, something’s got to give. Offshore wind farms might lead to weakened hurricanes.
NZ signs hydrogen agreement with Japan
24 Oct 2018
New Zealand and Japan are working together to transition away from a reliance on fossil fuels with the signing of an agreement on hydrogen, says energy minister Megan Woods.
Solar is here to stay, but where are the boats?
24 Oct 2018
There's nothing novel about vehicles using alternatives to the internal combustion engine, but solar and battery-powered boats are rarely in the conversation.
Big Gas wants exploration ban put on hold
17 Oct 2018
Five of the country’s biggest users of natural gas want the Government’s ban on exploration for new reserves put on hold while a “detailed” assessment of the role of gas is carried out.
Bioenergy will lead the way, predicts IEA
11 Oct 2018
“Modern” bioenergy will lead the global expansion of renewable energy up to 2023, the International Energy Agency says in its latest forecast.
Three decades later, Chernobyl goes solar
9 Oct 2018
Ukraine has unveiled a solar plant in Chernobyl, just across from where a power station, now encased in a giant sarcophagus, caused the world’s worst nuclear disaster three decades ago.
Wind-solar hybrid means 24-hour energy
8 Oct 2018
A power project in Ohio will take advantage of solar's midday burst of energy and wind's all-day power to provide more consistent clean energy to the grid.
Regional energy leaders to talk transition
2 Oct 2018
Political and energy sector leaders from across Asia and the Pacific will converge in Wellington later this month to talk about the implications on the region’s energy systems of the low-carbon transition.
Property company wins energy-saving award
27 Sep 2018
Installing energy-efficient lighting and heating systems in properties has seen Goodman Property Trust cut greenhouse gas emissions by 775 tonnes.
Wind and rain gives renewables a boost
21 Sep 2018
A wet and windy winter slashed New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation.
Exxon, Chevron join oil and gas climate alliance
21 Sep 2018
ExxonMobil, Chevron and Occidental Petroleum have joined a global group of oil giants aiming to limit their climate impact.
Shell announces methane emissions target
19 Sep 2018
Royal Dutch Shell has announced plans to reduce methane emissions.
Clean energy can provide all electricity, says study
13 Sep 2018
All the electricity the world needs can come from clean energy, reliably and throughout the year and at any time of day or night, UK researchers say.
Why carbon removal is not enough to save climate
12 Sep 2018
Carbon removal from the atmosphere cannot match reducing emissions of greenhouse gases as a way of slowing global warming, US analysts say.
Low-carbon economy worth $26 trillion, says Stern
11 Sep 2018
Making the transition to a low-carbon economy has the potential to unlock $US26 trillion in benefits by 2030, says economist Lord Nicholas Stern.
Green power set to surge while fossil fuels decline
11 Sep 2018
Electricity is set to dominate energy demand by mid-century, doubling to a 45 per cent share, says a new report.
The world is not building enough green power
10 Sep 2018
All across the world, we hear uplifting stories that reflect the fast changes in the energy scene. Yet the Paris climate targets seem in jeopardy and most forecasts say not enough is being done.
Batteries could be made from paper ... and spit
7 Sep 2018
Scientists have found a way to make batteries from paper and spit. But don’t expect the batteries to power your electric vehicle.
Carbon-sucker wins new investment money
31 Aug 2018
A small Swiss company has won $31 million in new investment to suck carbon dioxide from thin air.
Fuel from wood great energy option, say scientists
29 Aug 2018
Bioenergy production using wood from locally grown and sustainably managed forests can provide one of the lowest-carbon energy options for New Zealand, Scion says.
Growth fund should back biofuel, says jet group
27 Aug 2018
The Government’s Provincial Growth Fund should be backing production in New Zealand of biofuel, says one of the players in a biojet consortium.
Z Energy buys chunk of electricity company
27 Aug 2018
Fuel retailer Z Energy is buying 70 per cent of an electricity supplier as part of a shift towards a low-carbon economy.
Scottish tidal project sets new power records
24 Aug 2018
A tidal energy project in Scotland has smashed records for power generation over a 12-month period.
Solar goes super and next stop might be space
22 Aug 2018
Power utilities around the world are supersizing their solar farms and even looking toward taking them into space.
Ten years left to redesign lithium-ion batteries
3 Aug 2018
Research needs to refocus on finding common elements such as iron and silicon as reserves of cobalt and nickel used in electric-vehicle cells dwindle.
Cheap new material could speed battery charging
27 Jul 2018
A newly identified group of materials could accelerate adoption of electric cars and solar energy, as well as helping to recharge your smartphone in minutes.
Clean energy investment passes $138b
12 Jul 2018
Global investment in clean technologies is closely tracking last year and has already hit $138.2 billion, according to new analysis.
Smarter renewables open up new markets
11 Jul 2018
The need to stop global warming in its tracks has spurred the growth of two smarter renewables that are helping to reshape the electricity industry.
GAS GROWTH: The answer lies in feedback loops
10 Jul 2018
Greenhouse gases escaping from wetlands and permafrost could slash the world’s carbon budget by nearly a quarter, scientists say.
Here’s where 3m EV batteries will go when they retire ...
9 Jul 2018
The first batches of batteries from electric and hybrid vehicles are hitting retirement age ... yet they aren’t bound for landfills.
LUNAR LAW: Does Moon hold key to Earth’s energy needs?
6 Jul 2018
Using giant kites, blades and paddles, and mimicking pogo sticks, blowholes and even the human heart, groups around the world are on the cusp of harnessing the colossal power of the oceans.
Meridian predicts carbon price as high as $200
4 Jul 2018
Electricity company Meridian says it sees carbon prices rising as high as $200 a tonne.
Protein’s secret function could boost solar tech
3 Jul 2018
Understanding how certain proteins deal with light absorption can inspire modern solar technology.
New fuel from CO2 could slow climate change
2 Jul 2018
North American scientists might be one step nearer the dream solution to low-carbon energy, new fuel from CO2, if they can suck it straight from the air and convert it directly into gasoline, diesel or jet fuel.
Methane revelations unlikely to affect NZ
28 Jun 2018
Revelations that methane emissions from natural gas production in the United States could be 60 per cent higher than officially acknowledged are unlikely to affect New Zealand, officials say.
Clean energy investment ‘must be 50% higher’
21 Jun 2018
An extra $460 billion a year needs to be invested in the low-carbon economy globally over the next 12 years to limit climate warming to 1.5deg, a new paper says.
Parker to talk hydrogen energy in Japan
11 Jun 2018
Developing a sustainable hydrogen energy industry will be on the agenda for talks between New Zealand and Japan this week.
‘Liquid air’ storage technology comes step closer
11 Jun 2018
A UK company has completed a test plant for its liquid air energy storage technology which it hopes will be a long-duration challenger to lithium-ion storage and will avoid the pitfalls that have stymied similar startups.
Wood fuel benefits beg for attention, say backers
23 May 2018
New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions could be cut by more 640,000 tonnes a year by burning wood instead of coal in boilers in the Otago region alone.
Green building council calls for clean energy policies
Mon 18 May 2026
The New Zealand Green Building Council has released its 2026 election manifesto calling for policies to reduce energy waste in buildings, lower household and business energy costs, and improve New Zealand’s energy security.
Greens condemn planned coal mine next to protected wetland
4 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Green Party says a new plan for a coal mine and fertiliser plant next to an internationally significant wetland is “ecological vandalism and climate denial.”
Climate pollution static but NZ still on track for first emissions budget, says MfE
17 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand is still on track to meet its first emissions budget, according to the Ministry for the Environment, despite the pace of emissions reductions slowing to a standstill.
NZ at risk of falling behind on EV transition
Fri 22 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | An EV lobby group is warning that New Zealand is at a crossroads on transport electrification, with inconsistent policy settings and lagging charging infrastructure slowing uptake, while global adoption accelerates and fuel price shocks renew interest in electric vehicles.
Govt presses ahead with forestry rule changes despite opposition
14 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government is pushing ahead with changes to commercial forestry rules despite most submitters opposing the proposals, with critics warning the reforms will weaken councils’ ability to manage erosion and forestry slash risks in vulnerable regions such as Tairāwhiti.
Victorian Hydrogen announces Southland urea fertiliser project using coal
22 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Australian-based Victorian Hydrogen has announced it is developing a new 1.5 million-tonne-a-year urea fertiliser operation in Southland, which it will apply for under fast-track legislation.
