New Zealand: Energy
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.
New energy strategy on way, says minister
3 Nov 2016
The Government's new energy strategy is about to be released and is likely to contain aspirational targets to convert the heat and transport sectors to renewable energy sources.
PAY DAY: Bioenergy switch brings in business
3 Nov 2016
An eight-year investment in bioenergy is finally paying off with customers for an Invercargill laundry company.
Big Oil joins climate push with clean-energy fund
3 Nov 2016
Top oil companies including Saudi Aramco and Shell are joining forces to create an investment fund to develop technologies to promote renewable energy.
Offshore wind could swell 650% by 2030
3 Nov 2016
Offshore wind capacity could grow by more than 650 per cent in the next 15 years, according to new research.
Subsidy crunch cuts funding for Asia clean energy
3 Nov 2016
THE GREEN-ENERGY industry is starting to feel the impact of an efficiency drive sweeping Asia, where governments from China to Japan are scaling back subsidies to constrain a boom in installations.
You can't do it alone, bioenergy body hears
2 Nov 2016
No country has made the move to low-carbon bioenergy without strong governmental support, the New Zealand Bioenergy Association has been told.
Companies using yeast to wean us off fossil fuels
2 Nov 2016
For more than a century, oil has ruled the chemical landscape. But some companies are betting that yeast might be able to push petroleum to the side.
Musk muscles in on old-style domestic energy systems
1 Nov 2016
Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk has unveiled the latest elements of his plan to lead a global push to 100 per cent renewable energy -- a solar roof shingle and the second generation of his home battery storage offerings.
Iceland turning up the heat on thermal energy production
1 Nov 2016
Iceland is about to tap into water as hot as lava. Several kilometres below ground, a drilling rig named Thor will soon penetrate the area around a magma chamber, where molten rock from the inner Earth heats up water that has seeped through the seafloor.
Electric floor sparks power from footfalls
31 Oct 2016
US scientists have found a new way to generate energy at home: the tribo-electric floor. Tread on it and it will convert the kinetic energy of a footstep into a current of electricity.
Scientist calls for crackdown on methane gas leaks
28 Oct 2016
A leading authority on the effects of methane in the atmosphere has called for a new drive to cut gas leaks from pipelines and wells.
Half of added electricity capacity was renewable in 2015
27 Oct 2016
According to the International Energy Agency, 50 per cent of global net electricity generation capacity added in 2015 was renewable.
Paris withdraws plans for carbon tax on coal
27 Oct 2016
Pressure from the miners’ and energy workers’ union CGT has forced the French government to back down on extending the carbon tax to coal-fired power stations.
Renewables poised for rapid growth worldwide
26 Oct 2016
About 500,000 solar panels are installed each day worldwide. In China, two wind turbines are built every hour.
Adelaide blackout draws attention to battery storage
26 Oct 2016
Battery storage is still many years away from preventing massive blackouts such as the one that hit South Australia last month, according to a senior utility figure.
India’s solar power set to outshine coal
26 Oct 2016
India wants to provide its entire population with electricity and lift millions out of poverty, but in order to prevent the world overheating it also needs to switch away from fossil fuels.
Energy efficiency makes impact on carbon emissions
25 Oct 2016
Improved energy efficiency is helping New Zealand to cut thousands of tonnes of carbon emissions, as well as saving millions of dollars a year, the Government energy efficiency agency reports.
Corporate climate risk is all about turning a profit
25 Oct 2016
Risk has become a central construct for how businesses should respond to climate change.
Clinton says clean energy economy will create millions of jobs. Can it?
25 Oct 2016
Job growth is a prime topic in the US presidential race, but Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have very different takes on the role clean energy could play in creating employment.
Diesel use boosts national gas emissions
21 Oct 2016
New Zealanders are producing more greenhouse gas emissions from the use of diesel, according to new figures.
Exxon says world needs oil of five Saudis
21 Oct 2016
Global demand for energy will grow 25 per cent in the next 25 years and countries will guzzle oil five times the size of Saudi Arabia’s reserves, predicts Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson.
Saudis say oil industry must do its bit
21 Oct 2016
Oil companies must cut their carbon footprints to play a part in meeting the Paris Agreement on climate change, says Saudi Arabia oil chief Khalid Al-Falih.
Meet the US companies with the most solar
21 Oct 2016
Target is now the US. company that produces the most solar power at its facilities, beating out Walmart for the first time, and heading off Prologis, Apple, Costco, Kohl’s, and IKEA.
Big Oil might be emerging stronger than ever
20 Oct 2016
After a heart-stopping plunge in the price of crude over the last two years, along with slashed dividends and the elimination of tens of thousands of jobs, the biggest oil companies are proving surprisingly adept at again pumping profits, as well as oil, out of the ground.
Gene tech reforms face political split
Thu 23 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams |The Government’s Gene Technology Bill continues to divide Parliament, after the Health Select Committee released its long-awaited report last week outlining key recommendations and lingering concerns.
Council buys dairy farm to help clean up Lake Rotorua
Tue 21 Oct 2025
Bay of Plenty Regional Council has bought a 266-hectare dairy farm in the Lake Rotorua catchment and plans to retire it from production to reduce nitrogen entering the lake.
Emissions down slightly - Stats NZ
Fri 24 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | Greenhouse gas emissions fell 1.5% in the June 2025 quarter, although the decline seems to reflect the economy continuing to contract rather than Aoteoroa inching towards decarbonisation goals.
NZ’s government wants tourism to drive economic growth – but how will it deal with aviation emissions?
Wed 22 Oct 2025
By Robert McLachlan, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University | Following a brief dip during the COVID pandemic, aviation is back in a growth phase.
Emails show forestry lobby fought Gisborne crackdown as slash clean-up drags on
26 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Sustainable land use advocates are accusing Eastland Wood Council of stonewalling efforts to tighten forestry rules, after correspondence between the group and the local council was released under the Official Information Act.
Govt to ease climate reporting thresholds, water down liability
Wed 22 Oct 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The rollback of climate change reporting requirements has produced a wave of relief in corporate New Zealand as managed investment funds and listed companies with annual revenue under $1 billion are exempted.
