New Zealand: Energy
Tesla batteries give California grid a boost
1 Feb 2017
Just off a freeway in Southern California, 396 refrigerator-size stacks of Tesla batteries, encased in white metal, have been hastily erected with a new mission: to suck up electricity from the grid during the day and feed it back into the system as needed, especially in the evening.
Government's new-energy action does little, says report
31 Jan 2017
The Government’s National Policy Statement on Renewable Electricity has had little impact on the consenting process for renewable energy projects, a review has found.
Giant US coal-fired power plant might close
31 Jan 2017
The largest coal-fired power plant in the West of the US could close later this year, a major symbolic blow to the future of coal as the backbone of America’s electric power grid.
EDS slams meaningless energy efficiency plans
27 Jan 2017
The Government is being told its latest plan to improve energy efficiency in New Zealand is misleading and brings its efforts on climate change into disrepute.
China builds world's biggest solar farm
26 Jan 2017
High on the Tibetan plateau, a giant poster of the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, guards the entrance to one of the greatest monuments to Beijing’s quest to become a clean energy colossus.
UAE to spend billions on clean energy
26 Jan 2017
The United Arab Emirates has announced plans to invest $US163 billion in clean energy sources by 2050.
POWER CUTS: Our electricity is producing fewer emissions
25 Jan 2017
The emissions intensity of New Zealand’s electricity dropped to almost record lows at the end of last year.
Exxon predicts 25% rise in energy demand
25 Jan 2017
The world’s biggest oil conglomerate says it expects global energy demand to increase by a quarter in the next 23 years.
Electric vehicles drive to overtake biofuels
25 Jan 2017
By 2040, the number of electric cars in the world could have reached 715 million, says the International Energy Agency.
Scotland pulls out all stops to hit 66% target
25 Jan 2017
Scotland is seeking to dramatically cut its reliance on fossil fuels for cars, energy and homes after setting a radical target to cut total climate emissions by 66 per cent within 15 years.
Congo peatland packs massive amount of carbon
24 Jan 2017
Scientists have discovered the world’s largest tropical peatland in the remote Congo swamps, estimated to store the equivalent of three year’s worth of the world’s total fossil fuel emissions.
Queensland gets serious about waste-to-fuel
19 Dec 2016
The emerging biofuel industry is casting the net wide to find solutions to two environmental problems: reducing waste and increasing fuel production.
Green buildings make you work smarter and sleep sounder
19 Dec 2016
People working in green buildings think better in the office and sleep better when they get home, a new study has revealed.
California adopts energy rules for computers
19 Dec 2016
The California Energy Commission has passed sweeping energy-efficiency standards for computers and monitors in an effort to reduce power costs.
Solar nearly level with wind in developing world
16 Dec 2016
Solar is now on a par with wind energy and will soon become the cheapest form of energy in developing nations, says a new report.
New emissions reduction plan business as usual
15 Dec 2016
The Government’s plan to cut the emissions intensity from industrial heat generation by 1 per cent a year is just business as usual, and will do little to achieve New Zealand’s Paris Agreement commitment.
Now it's Caseley to head energy authority
15 Dec 2016
Andrew Caseley is to head the government’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, after the person who got the job turned it down.
One answer could be to build more highways
15 Dec 2016
Many innovations aimed at reducing carbon dioxide have been put forward. Now, a California entrepreneur is proposing a more practical solution.
Energy industry welcomes national strategy plan
14 Dec 2016
A proposed national strategy to convert industrial heat processes to renewable energy is being welcomed by the sector.
Govt targets industrial sector in new energy strategy
13 Dec 2016
The Government has unveiled plans to cut the emissions intensity of the country’s industrial sector by 1 per cent a year.
Gates and the world's wealthy backing $1b energy fund
13 Dec 2016
Bill Gates and more than a dozen of the world’s wealthiest individuals have revealed a new $1 billion investment fund to foster major advances in clean-energy production.
Fossil fuel divestment funds double to $5 trillion in a year
13 Dec 2016
The value of investment funds committed to selling off fossil fuel assets has jumped to $5.2 trillion, doubling in just over a year.
Google to be 100% powered by renewables from next year
7 Dec 2016
Google’s data centres and the offices for its 60,000 staff will be powered entirely by renewable energy from next year, in what the company has called a “landmark moment”.
Batteries not the cheapest way to store energy
6 Dec 2016
Since Tesla unveiled its Powerwall, politicians, commentators and industry have hyped storage – and particularly batteries – as the solution for getting more renewable energy into electricity grids and reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.
How NZ could become biofutures powerhouse
5 Dec 2016
New Zealand could easily become a Queensland-style biofutures superpower, local industry leaders say.
FUSION FUTURE: A time of transition and potential
5 Dec 2016
For centuries, humans have dreamed of harnessing the power of the sun to energise our lives here on Earth.
US oil exports skyrocket despite climate pacts
5 Dec 2016
Seven years ago, the US exported its crude oil to just one country — Canada. This year, 22 countries received American crude oil, marking a more than 1000 per cent increase in US oil exports since 2009.
World’s largest solar plant opens in India
5 Dec 2016
The world’s largest solar plant has been unveiled by the Adani Group in Kamuthi, Tamil Nadu, in the south of India.
China to lead way in growth of solar market
2 Dec 2016
The global solar photovoltaic market is likely to grow to nearly 300 gigawatts this year.
Engineers turn old tyres into quality oil and fuel
1 Dec 2016
Old tyres can be completely recycled into low-emission diesel engine oil, says a team of engineers.
China pushes to dig more coal
1 Dec 2016
In recent weeks, China has reiterated its plans to push forward on climate action. Despite this, the country is scrambling to mine and burn more coal.
Households cut emissions by 11%, says report
30 Nov 2016
The average New Zealand household’s emissions fell 11 per cent between 2006 and 2012, new research shows.
Trump can't stop rising use of fossil fuels
30 Nov 2016
Climate policies will keep chipping away at fossil fuels’ role as the mainstay of global energy use, despite Donald Trump’s appointment as United States president in 2017, according to a new report by The Economist Intelligence Unit.
Switch to new power puts pressure on boilers
30 Nov 2016
A push for renewable generation is affecting demand for boilers, turbines and generators, a new report shows.
First solar panel roads to be built next year
29 Nov 2016
Rugged solar panels, capable of withstanding the weight of an 18-wheeler truck, are now being trial-built into road surfaces.
Finland plans to ban coal by 2030
29 Nov 2016
Finland has announced its plans to phase out the use of coal for electricity generation by 2030.
Europe felling protected forests for biofuel supply
25 Nov 2016
Protected forests are being indiscriminately felled across Europe to meet the EU’s renewable energy targets, according to new report.
California aims to generate energy from traffic jams
23 Nov 2016
The California Energy Commission has announced plans to attempt to utilise energy generated from standstill traffic.
Solar company wins innovation award
22 Nov 2016
An energy service that combines battery storage and rooftop solar without any equipment costs for Kiwi homeowners has won a green award for innovation.
Canada sets 2030 deadline to get out of coal
22 Nov 2016
Canada could be coal-free by the end of next decade under plans outlined by environment minister Catherine McKenna.
Scientists take big step toward safely burying carbon dioxide
22 Nov 2016
Scientists for the first time have injected carbon dioxide into ancient lava flows and watched it solidify, demonstrating that capturing carbon dioxide and safely storing it underground might be a realistic way to cut greenhouse gases.
PV power could save nation tonnes of emissions
21 Nov 2016
New Zealand could save up to 815,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases a year by converting 18 per cent of households to photovoltaic solar power, a new study says.
Obama puts Arctic Ocean off limits for drilling
21 Nov 2016
Barack Obama’s administration has ruled out drilling for oil and gas in the pristine Arctic Ocean, throwing up a last-ditch barrier to the pro-fossil fuels agenda of incoming president Donald Trump.
Texas oil find biggest in US history
18 Nov 2016
THE US Geological Survey says a deposit in West Texas is the largest continuous oil and gas field ever discovered in the United States.
Fossil fuel emissions have stalled for third year
15 Nov 2016
For the third year in a row, global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels and industry have barely grown, while the global economy has continued to grow strongly.
Britain's last coal power plants to close by 2025
11 Nov 2016
The last coal power station in Britain will be forced to close in 2025, the government said as it laid out its plan to phase-out the polluting fossil fuel.
Cloud cameras warn of dips in solar power
10 Nov 2016
A new way to tackle the much-maligned unpredictability of solar energy is being deployed at a solar farm opening in Western Australia – cloud-tracking cameras.
Wind and solar combo could be the way to go
9 Nov 2016
By combining intermittent renewable energy sources through hybrid projects, developers are taking advantage of the strengths of each.
We can’t bet on renewable energy to save the world
9 Nov 2016
The Paris climate agreement has now officially come into force most people have hailed it as a huge success and a significant milestone in our quest to limit the effects of global climate change.
Mercedes-Benz enters US energy storage market
7 Nov 2016
Mercedes-Benz is launching a new company to sell stationary storage of all sizes to the US market.
Growth, energy and climate in focus at Trans-Tasman bilateral talks
Today 11:00am
Trans-Tasman climate cooperation was one of the themes at the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum, with senior government officials and business leaders from both sides of the ditch meeting in Canberra this week.
International scientists slam NZ govt's proposed approach to methane
13 Aug 2025
New Zealand's proposed approach to methane emissions has again been attacked by international climate scientists, with a new study saying the attempt to redefine climate target-setting by livestock-exporting countries undermines the transition to a sustainable and equitable food system
Vector hits emissions reduction goal five years early
Today 11:00am
By Liz Kivi | Auckland lines company Vector has met its 2030 emissions reduction reduction target five years early, more than halving its direct emissions, and crediting innovation and a laser-focus for its success in a hard-to-abate sector.
Air NZ declares surprisingly low SAF prices
Wed 3 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Air New Zealand is able to source sustainable aviation fuel at between 1.5 and 2.5 times the price of conventional fossil fuels used for flying, all sourced from the US.
Forest carbon stores massive blind spot - study
Thu 4 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Aotearoa New Zealand’s planted forests hold significant deep soil organic carbon — with over half of it stored below 30 cm, and much of it over 1,000 years old.
XRB consults on delaying climate reporting requirements
Thu 4 Sep 2025
The External Reporting Board is proposing a further two years relief for companies to adopt anticipated financial impacts reporting and scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions reporting and assurance.
