New Zealand: Energy
SLIP SLINDING AWAY: Big Oil losing its grip on power
15 May 2017
With oil prices remaining low, hopes of combating climate change through emissions reduction are improving as the oil industry shrinks.
Europe opens door to Canada’s dirty oil
15 May 2017
Oil extracted from tar sands is far more polluting than conventional hydrocarbons. The EU’s decision to change the way it classifies the fuel is good news for Canadian exports and bad news for the environment.
Wood energy project start less than spectacular
12 May 2017
The Wood Energy South energy efficiency programme has prevented just 530 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions being released, Parliament has heard.
Indian solar power prices hit record low
12 May 2017
Wholesale solar power prices have reached another record low in India, faster than analysts predicted and further undercutting the price of fossil fuel-generated power in the country.
Problems with nuclear waste launch a gold rush
10 May 2017
Staggering sums of money involved in the long-term challenge of solving the world’s nuclear waste problems make it a booming business.
Germany’s weekend powered 85% by renewables
9 May 2017
Renewable energy sources – including wind and solar – provided the majority of Germany’s power over the weekend, generating more than 85 per cent of electricity on Sunday.
Our big houses bad for better insulation
8 May 2017
The benefits of better home insulation are being cancelled out by the trend toward bigger houses.
Spray on, printables next for the solar panel market
5 May 2017
Thin film technology is touted as a gamechanger for the solar panel market, but it’s not without drawbacks.
Coal price of $150 a tonne key to new Coast mine
3 May 2017
The Government is counting on a coking-coal price of $US150 a tonne in estimates about the economic benefits of proposed new mining on the Buller Plateau.
Clean energy now employs over 9.4 million
3 May 2017
More than 9.4 million people across the world are now employed in the renewable energy sector.
It takes only a few countries to kickstart a revolution
2 May 2017
In 2016, more renewable energy was added to the global grid than ever before, and at a lower cost. A global energy revolution is clearly under way.
Power plants must cut emissions under new EU rules
1 May 2017
POWER plants in the EU will have to cut the amount of toxic pollutants such as nitrogen oxides they emit under new rules approved by member states.
Is deep sea mining worth the risk?
28 Apr 2017
Scientists have discovered massive amounts of a rare metal called tellurium, a key element in cutting-edge solar technology.
UK acts to get gas out of the atmosphere
27 Apr 2017
The UK has launched a £8.6 million national research programme to investigate how to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, the first of its kind.
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.
Local govt bill 'completely misses the point,' passes first reading
Fri 18 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The government’s bill making changes to the Local Government Act to "refocus" councils on their core functions passed its first reading in Parliament last night, with critics saying it will set back climate resilience.
Expert rejects farmers call to ditch green investment framework
Thu 17 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Scrapping a proposed 'green' finance taxonomy before work on it is even finished would risk New Zealand being left behind in the transition to more sustainable systems, according to an expert.
Mangroves' overlooked climate role
30 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand’s mangrove forests are pulling tens of thousands of tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere each year, yet their climate benefits remain unrecognised in national emissions reporting.
How flying can be a climate solution
16 Jun 2025
By Paul Callister and Robert McLachlan - Planetary Ecology | How can aviation contribute to tackling climate change when no practicable technology-based solutions are on the horizon?
Foresters seek time; end to using ETS as a land use tool
Wed 16 Jul 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Production and carbon forestry owners have begged the environment select committee to at least give the sector more time to come up with workable rules for legislation intended to cap forest planting on farmland.
NZ Post drops science-based climate target
8 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | NZ Post has dropped its science-based emissions reduction target of 42% by 2030 with no plans to replace it.
