New Zealand: Energy
PUMP SLUMP: True carbon cost would punish petrol
22 Jun 2016
Pricing the true cost of carbon pollution into fossil fuels would push retail petrol prices up 42 cents a litre, making electric vehicles far more attractive, according to a new report.
Experts offer help to victims of solar charge
22 Jun 2016
Greenpeace has pooled its renewable energy and legal experts to create a solar hot desk to help people affected by New Zealand’s first charge for using solar energy.
Engineers build tower to power-up phones
22 Jun 2016
Engineers from WelTec’s School of Engineering and the School of Creative Industries have designed and built a solar-powered cell-phone charging tower.
COAL PART 4: Carbon capture unlikely to be the saviour
22 Jun 2016
Coal played a vital role in the Industrial Revolution and continues to fuel some of the world’s largest economies. This series looks at coal’s past, present and uncertain future.
Using CO2 could improve fracking efficiency
22 Jun 2016
Adding carbon dioxide instead of water to fracking fluids could help to fight climate change – and improve fracking efficiency, scientists say.
What do you do with your old solar panels?
21 Jun 2016
Disposing of old photovoltaic panels is going to be a big business, a new report says.
China set for 25% of electricity from wind by 2030
21 Jun 2016
China is on track to generate more than a quarter of its electricity from wind power by 2030, and the figure could rise to nearly a third with power sector reforms, a new study has found.
Fonterra nod pleases bioenergy industry
20 Jun 2016
The approval for Fonterra to build a new milk-drying plant that will be partially fuelled by wood is a step forward for the diary giant, says the Bioenergy Association.
Battery miracle will transform power generation
20 Jun 2016
Low-cost, high-performance electric batteries are a game changer for the two key clean energy sectors: power generation and transportation.
Should China save its last wild river?
20 Jun 2016
With global temperatures rising, can China afford to protect its rivers and forgo an alternative to the coal-fired plants responsible for much of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions?
Islands could become first 100% renewable nations
17 Jun 2016
The rich world might soon be shown up by small, tropical island nations which have plenty of wind and sun and aren’t lumbered with outdated, base-load power plants to keep running.
Inside South Africa’s battle between coal and renewables
17 Jun 2016
Pretoria’s generous energy subsidies have got the country used to cheap, dirty power – but change is on the way as solar and wind prices plummet.
COAL PART 3: How miners secured workers' rights
14 Jun 2016
Part three of this series examines coal’s role in the development of industrial relations. In New Zealand, it was a dispute at the West Coast's Blackball mine, over a lunch break, that led to the formation of the Federation of Labour (the "Red Feds"), and then to the birth of the Labour Party.
World nears peak fossil fuels for electricity
14 Jun 2016
Coal and gas will begin their terminal decline in less than a decade, according to a new analysis.
How coal giant funded disbeliever groups
14 Jun 2016
Peabody Energy, America’s biggest coalmining company, has funded at least two dozen groups that cast doubt on manmade climate change and oppose environment regulations, a new report reveals.
LanzaTech has role in global low-energy drive
13 Jun 2016
New Zealand-born LanzaTech is one of the businesses behind a new drive to get low-carbon sustainable fuels to the point where they make real cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.
EECA chief to end 10 years at the top
13 Jun 2016
The head of the government’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority will stand down later this year.
It's a sign of the times
13 Jun 2016
Not sure where to charge your electric vehicle? Look for the new nationally approved sign, unveiled on Friday.
COAL PART 2: Window on an ancient world
13 Jun 2016
As the world moves to combat climate change, it’s increasingly doubtful that coal will continue to be a viable energy source, because of its high greenhouse gas emissions. But coal played a vital role in the Industrial Revolution and continues to fuel some of the world’s largest economies. Part 2 of a series looks at coal’s past, present and uncertain future.
Introducing: The bionic leaf that could fuel a revolution
13 Jun 2016
Renewable energy experts and microbiologists have teamed up to create a super-efficient artificial leaf that uses photosynthesis to produce carbon-neutral liquid fuels.
Coal production plummets to lowest level in 35 years
13 Jun 2016
Coal production in the United States is plummeting to levels not seen since a crippling coal strike 35 years ago, according to a new report.
COAL PART 1: King of the Industrial Revolution, but not always on the right path
10 Jun 2016
As the world moves to combat climate change, it’s increasingly doubtful that coal will continue to be a viable energy source, because of its high greenhouse gas emissions. But coal played a vital role in the Industrial Revolution and continues to fuel some of the world’s largest economies. This is the first in a series looks at coal’s past, present and uncertain future, starting today with how it’s formed.
Green homes only as good as who's pushing the buttons
10 Jun 2016
A well-insulated home with a high-efficiency air conditioner and programmable thermostat are only as effective as the person using it.
China sets 2016 solar cap at 18GW
10 Jun 2016
China has set its 2016 solar installation cap at 18.1GW and took significant steps to address curtailment and encourage consolidation, according to leaked documents being widely circulated in China.
Emissions stopped growing in 2015, says BP
10 Jun 2016
Carbon emissions stopped growing in 2015 for the first time in 10 years as the world turned its back on coal and embraced energy efficiency and renewable power with increased vigour, according to a new set of statistics.
Energy independence won’t cure climate ills
9 Jun 2016
Analysts say tackling climate change is a more difficult and expensive challenge for governments than achieving the unconnected goal of being self-reliant for energy needs.
Countdown finds emissions cuts are working
8 Jun 2016
Countdown has cut the emissions-intensity of its supermarkets by 26 per cent.
Wind and solar entering new generation
8 Jun 2016
Wind and solar power are entering a new phase of deployment and affordability, according to a new study from the International Energy Agency.
Dubai building largest solar power plant
8 Jun 2016
Dubai will build the world's largest concentrated solar power project that will generate 1000 megawatts of power by 2020 - and a whopping 5000 megawatts by 2030.
Big names back global renewable energy drive
7 Jun 2016
A new international campaign will see some of the world’s largest companies working with governments to scale-up renewable energy in support of the Paris Agreement on climate change.
EV report cynical and diversionary, says Solarcity
7 Jun 2016
The latest report pushing investment in electric vehicles instead of solar panels is an attempt by the old energy industry to slow the public uptake of solar power, says solar energy company Solarcity.
Europe’s renewables spending hits 10-year low
7 Jun 2016
The reputation of Europe as a renewable energy leader has taken a serious knock as its investment dropped by 21 per cent last year while global figures reached record levels.
What in the world is a Watly?
7 Jun 2016
MARCO A. ATTISANI’s company, Watly, has built a device that uses solar to desalinise water and generate electricity at the same time. He marked World Environment Day on Sunday with a message for other businesses.
Nuclear plants face global crisis of ageing
7 Jun 2016
The nuclear industry worldwide faces an escalating battle to keep ageing reactors running as about a quarter of components and computer systems become obsolete.
Ten EU countries sign offshore wind power pact
7 Jun 2016
Ten northern European countries have agreed to cooperate on offshore wind power infrastructure and regulations.
BHP steps up carbon storage efforts
7 Jun 2016
BHP Billiton is stepping up its efforts to bolster the use of technology to capture and store carbon emissions, by funding a joint research program with Peking University, which is aimed at slashing carbon emissions in the industrial sector.
Investors bet coal has a future as backup
7 Jun 2016
A Prague-based company is buying up coal plants in Europe with the goal of securing the facilities as the backup energy supply to solar plants and wind farms.
New report backs e-cars over solar panels
3 Jun 2016
A second report has backed electric vehicles over solar panels for cutting greenhouses gas emissions in New Zealand.
Chile has so much solar energy it's giving it away
3 Jun 2016
Chile’s solar industry has expanded so quickly that it’s giving electricity away for free.
SOUTHERN COMFORT: Southland sets the new-energy style
2 Jun 2016
New Zealand needs regional emissions reduction targets as well as a national target, our southern- most region says.
Energy solutions need leaders, money and ideas
2 Jun 2016
Solving the energy trilemma requires policy leadership and investment in new technologies, world energy leaders are being told.
Renewable energy smashes global records
2 Jun 2016
An upsurge in new wind, solar and hydro plants and capacity saw renewable energy smash global records last year, according to a report on new supply.
German leader agrees to put brakes on green energy
2 Jun 2016
German chancellor Angela Merkel has hammered out a deal with state premiers on the latest reform to Germany’s renewable energy law aimed at curbing the costs and controlling the speed of the roll-out of green power sources.
New York to cut emissions by 100%
1 Jun 2016
Lawmakers in New York have introduced a bill aimed at cutting the state's greenhouse gas emissions by 100 per cent by 2050.
How fracking can contribute to climate change
31 May 2016
Leakage of natural gas from drilling and pipework means more methane is entering the atmosphere.
Consultants reply to Solarcity crticism of report
30 May 2016
Last week, solar energy company Solarcity criticised a report by Concept Consulting, which said switching to electric vehicles would do more to cut greenhouse gas emissions in New Zealand than installing solar panels on roofs would do. Today, Concept Consulting director SIMON COATES replies:
Exxon chief: Ending oil production not acceptable
30 May 2016
Rex Tillerson, the boss of oil giant ExxonMobil, said cutting oil production was “not acceptable for humanity” as he fought off shareholders’ and activists’ attempts to force the company to fully acknowledge the impact of climate change on the environment and Exxon’s future profits.
Why energy crops have been a major flop with farmers
30 May 2016
Whatever happened to energy crops? A decade ago, the UK authorities confidently expected farmers to devote swaths of land to growing the likes of short-rotation willow and poplar and perennial grasses.
Trump: First on fossil fuels, last on climate change
30 May 2016
Donald Trump has vowed that if elected president he would dismantle the Paris global treaty and maximise the production of coal, oil and natural gas.
World of clean energy soaks up 8 million workers
27 May 2016
More than 8.1 million people worldwide are now employed by the renewable energy industry – a 5 per cent increase from last year.
Greens slam move to disband Environment Ministry
Fri 20 Feb 2026
The Green Party has joined climate and health advocates in condemning the Government's decision to disestablish the Ministry for the Environment as part of a multi-ministry merger.
Govt's solar on farms initiative to cut costs, boost resilience
Tue 17 Feb 2026
Farms across Aotearoa will begin installing solar panels and battery systems as part of a government-backed demonstration programme designed to test whether on-farm renewable energy can reduce electricity costs and improve energy security for the food and fibre sector.
Annual emissions fell to lowest in 15 years in Sept 2025
5 Feb 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions fell to their lowest annual total in the year to September 2025 since records began 2010, according to Statistics New Zealand data published this morning.
NZ could become ‘dumping ground’ for dirty vehicles: Commissioner
16 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | Simon Upton, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, has warned the Government that its changes to the clean car standard could turn the country into a dumping ground for high emitting cars, making future emissions budgets harder to achieve.
Slash for cash turns storm debris into jobs and climate resilience
Thu 19 Feb 2026
A community-led initiative in Tairāwhiti is transforming storm-damaged forestry slash into jobs, soil regeneration and long-term climate resilience.
Kiwi startup takes on global plastic pollution
12 Feb 2026
A New Zealand startup is launching what it says is the world’s first plastic-free effervescent drink tablet, with the ambitious aim of eliminating bottled beverages to reduce global plastic pollution.
