New Zealand: Energy
UK power generation achieves first coal-free day
26 Apr 2017
Friday was Britain’s first working day without coal power since the Industrial Revolution.
Scottish wind powers affordable housing
26 Apr 2017
Three wind turbines in Scotland are generating electricity for the national grid and helping to raise funds to build affordable homes in rural communities.
Energy Star rating loses its twinkle
21 Apr 2017
The Government is scrapping the Energy Star rating on home appliances.
Who wants to work with wind turbines? Plenty, it seems
21 Apr 2017
The fastest-growing occupation in the United States — by a long shot, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics — is wind turbine technician.
Food carts get taste of solar
21 Apr 2017
New York’s thousands of food carts are generating carbon credits.
Fracking brings new oil boom to Alaska
20 Apr 2017
Despite opposition from environmental groups and President Obama’s 2016 ban on drilling in federal Arctic waters, exploration in Alaska has revealed massive new volumes of oil.
Scientist seeks capital backing for adaptation projects
19 Apr 2017
Ekos founder Dr Sean Weaver is working on a new project – a non-market mechanism to raise private capital to fund climate-change adaptation projects in developing countries.
Pool operator splashes out on electric pumps
19 Apr 2017
Auckland swimming pool operator Northern Arena says switching to electric heat-pumps for its pools has been good for swimmers and good for the climate.
World's nuclear giants limp toward extinction
18 Apr 2017
Any lingering hope that a worldwide nuclear power renaissance would contribute to combating climate change appears to have been dashed by US company Westinghouse, the largest provider of nuclear technology in the world, filing for bankruptcy, and the severe financial difficulties of its Japanese parent company, Toshiba.
SEND IN THE DRONES: Sky-high power stations find a friend
12 Apr 2017
Technology that uses flying drones to generate electricity from the wind is getting a boost from a German utility.
Solar power and saltwater to grow veges in desert
10 Apr 2017
A Norwegian company plans to establish a solar-powered facility in the Aqaba desert in Jordan, capable of growing a variety of crops without wasting any fresh water.
POWER POSERS: Energy industry worries and waits
7 Apr 2017
Uncertainty over the Government’s plans to implement the Paris Agreement on climate change is keeping New Zealand’s energy executives awake at night, says the World Energy Council.
Brexit barrier to clean energy, says WEC
7 Apr 2017
Brexit is undermining Europe’s switch to renewable energy, the World Energy Council says.
Green HQ gets green light
7 Apr 2017
In a case of gamekeeper-turned-poacher, New Zealand’s Green Building Council has improved the environmental performance of its own office.
Europe votes to take action on palm oil
7 Apr 2017
The European Parliament this week adopted a resolution calling the European Commission to phase out the use of biofuels based on vegetable oils by 2020, and to establish a single certification scheme to guarantee only sustainably produced palm oil enters the EU market.
Europe vows no new coal-fired plants from 2020
6 Apr 2017
Europe’s energy utilities have rung a death knell for coal, with a historic pledge that no new coal-fired plants will be built in the EU after 2020.
Renewables cut Europe's carbon emissions by 10%
5 Apr 2017
A surge in the use of wind and solar energy helped Europe to cut its fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by about 10 per cent in 2015.
Carbon law could make Paris promise a reality
4 Apr 2017
By 2020, fossil fuels will no longer be subsidised by the taxpayer, anywhere in the world. And by then, carbon dioxide emissions worldwide will have started to fall.
SOLAR SURGE: Renewable energy sets new record
31 Mar 2017
Global renewable energy capacity increased by 161GW last year, setting a new deployment record for the sector.
How an energy icon bet on nuclear power - and lost
30 Mar 2017
Westinghouse, once synonymous with America’s industrial might, wagered its future on nuclear power ... and lost.
A ‘cold economy’ could bring environmental benefits
29 Mar 2017
The ability to keep things cold is a pillar of modern society – demand is booming worldwide to deliver air conditioning, data centre cooling and transport refrigeration, particularly in emerging economies.
Quiet revolution cuts energy consumption
29 Mar 2017
Energy efficiency is a subject unlikely to grab the headlines, but there is a quiet revolution under way that is changing the electricity industry and helping to save the planet from climate change.
Some emissions rise ... some emissions fall
28 Mar 2017
New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions from energy fell overall in the December quarter – but the rising use of liquid fossil fuels means emissions from transport are climbing.
'Poor losers' report out of step, says solar company
28 Mar 2017
A report showing widespread uptake of solar energy will push power costs up for the poorest New Zealanders is out of step with international findings, says a solar energy company.
Solar panels could cost the poor, says report
27 Mar 2017
Mass uptake of solar panels and electric vehicles could make New Zealand’s poorest worse off, says a new report.
NET-ZERO REPORT: We can do more, says bioenergy industry
24 Mar 2017
A cross-party report on how New Zealand can get to net-zero emissions in the second half of the century ignores some immediate opportunities, the Bioenergy Association says.
Moore’s Law for carbon could beat global warming
24 Mar 2017
A plan to halve carbon emissions every decade, while green energy continues to double every five years, provides a simple but rigorous roadmap to tackle climate change, scientists say.
Coal in freefall as new plants dive by two-thirds
23 Mar 2017
The amount of new coal power being built around the world fell by nearly two-thirds last year, prompting campaigners to claim the polluting fossil fuel is in freefall.
European cities want 10 million smart streetlamps
23 Mar 2017
Local governments around Europe paid €7.6 billion to light public streets in 2015. But their bills could be cut down by up to 70 per cent if local governments are willing to shell out extra funds to install new lighting.
Norway must put oil ventures to ‘climate test’
23 Mar 2017
Norway has some of the most ambitious emissions policies in the world, but is opening oil fields that cannot pay back in a safe climate future.
Peak oil? Sooner than you think
22 Mar 2017
Once peak oil is finally reached – whenever that is – demand will begin to drop thereafter, perhaps precipitously.
South Australian energy plan signals storage revolution
21 Mar 2017
Australia's largest battery storage technology will be built in South Australia to warehouse renewable energy, providing more affordable and reliable electricity, along with jobs and investment.
Wind turbine manufacturer needs more capital
20 Mar 2017
Windflow Technology, the unprofitable wind turbine manufacturer, has widened its first-half loss and says it needs new injections of capital.
China kickstarting coal boom in Pakistan
20 Mar 2017
In a region of Pakistan besieged by drought, and blessed with solar potential, China is funding the expansion of huge new coal projects.
Windfarms commercial director to run company
20 Mar 2017
NZ Windfarms says its new commercial director, John Worth, will assume full responsibility for the company's daily operations, taking over from acting chief executive Stuart Bauld.
Scotland goes big with offshore wind farm
17 Mar 2017
The Scottish government has approved planning consent for one of the world’s largest floating offshore wind farms.
Global solar leaps 50% thanks to US and China
9 Mar 2017
The amount of solar power added worldwide soared by 50 per cent last year because of a sun rush in the US and China.
Energy needs broader view, says new minister
8 Mar 2017
New Zealand needs to broaden use of renewable energy beyond the electricity generation, says the new energy minister - but she expects fossil fuels to stay in the mix.
Back us and we'll build more plants, says Z biofuel
7 Mar 2017
New Zealand’s largest liquid-fuel retailer says it could build another six biodiesel plants – if it gets the right support.
UK emissions at lowest level since 19th century
7 Mar 2017
The UK’s carbon dioxide emissions have fallen to their lowest level since the 19th century as coal use continues to plummet.
Let's talk about emissions, fuels firm tells public
6 Mar 2017
A company whose products are responsible for 9 per cent of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions is asking the public what it can do to reduce them.
America’s ‘hidden subsidies’ worth $170b a year
6 Mar 2017
Donald Trump wants to restrict or even abolish the US Environmental Protection Agency. In particular, he is proposing to dramatically limit the federal agency’s power to regulate carbon dioxide emissions.
ENERGY REPORT: Great ideas but they're not happening
2 Mar 2017
New Zealand’s own scientists’ advice – that the country must move urgently to a low-carbon energy system – has been endorsed by the International Energy Agency, albeit in a sanitised way.
China coal use fell again in 2016
2 Mar 2017
China’s coal consumption fell in 2016 – the third year in a row the world’s biggest polluter has cut back its use of the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel.
Germany’s e-car plan might increase emissions
2 Mar 2017
Germany has ambitious plans for both electric cars and renewable energy. But it can’t deliver both.
Our environment image at risk, says global agency
1 Mar 2017
New Zealand risks damaging its clean-and-green reputation by failing to cut its greenhouse gas emissions, the International Energy Agency warns.
Government pension scheme begins ditching oil and gas
28 Feb 2017
A UK pension scheme with more than four million members is shifting almost 10 per cent of its investments into a new climate change fund designed to move people’s money out of fossil fuels and into renewable energy.
EU’s clean energy package gets national support
28 Feb 2017
EU energy ministers have backed the third version of the 28-country bloc’s clean energy package, praising its focus on renewables, energy efficiency and consumers.
Battery storage industry to fight Australian bans
27 Feb 2017
The world’s biggest battery manufacturers say they will fight Australia's proposed new guidelines and recommendations that could ban battery storage units from inside homes and garages.
How a Danish island did zero carbon in less than 10 years
27 Feb 2017
The Danish island of Samso's energy makeover took less than a decade and was spurred on by local commitment.
Cuts to climate finance put exports in jeopardy: Lawyers
23 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has halved international climate finance, a move aid organisations describe as “devastating,” and which lawyers say could put our Paris Agreement commitments and export market access at risk.
Fed Farmers ‘ready to go into battle’ over methane target
21 May 2025
Federated Farmers say they will never accept a 24% methane reduction target, and they are prepared to go into battle with the government over the issue.
Carbon price too low to fund carbon capture
20 May 2025
The government’s climate target to 2030 is at risk, after revelations that a carbon capture project which the government was relying on to deliver one third of its carbon reductions, might not go ahead.
While govt ‘refreshes’ fund for low carbon trucks, are transport emissions set to accelerate?
Wed 28 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has announced it is updating the Low Emissions Heavy Vehicle Fund, however cuts to funds to decarbonise transport in last week’s budget, and potential changes to road user charges, could stall transport emissions reductions.
Council delays forestry plan as national rules remain unclear
21 May 2025
Tairāwhiti’s forestry reforms are facing fresh delays, with Gisborne District Council now tying its plan changes to national direction that remains uncertain.
Kiwi cleantech companies on the world stage
27 May 2025
Six New Zealand 'cleantech' companies were in Singapore earlier this month, along with a venture capital firm and the MacDiarmid Institute, to meet investors and multinational partners.
