New Zealand: Energy
China dominates wind turbine installation
18 May 2016
Nearly half of the new wind turbines installed last year were in China, latest data shows.
It's more bad news for carbon capture
17 May 2016
Coal powered much of the industrial revolution and continues to fuel economic growth in developing nations, including China and India.
Shell creates green energy division
17 May 2016
Shell has established a separate division, New Energies, to invest in renewable and low-carbon power.
Largest floating windfarm to be built off Scotland
17 May 2016
The world’s largest floating windfarm is set to be built off the coast of Scotlandafter its developers were granted a seabed lease yesterday.
Facebook, Microsoft give clean energy a boost
17 May 2016
Facebook and Microsoft are joining forces with environmental groups to promote the development of 60 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2025.
Angry climate campaigners aim at bank coffers
16 May 2016
Climate campaigners are looking to hit banks investing in fossil-fuel operations where it hurts – the bottom line.
Vanadium the ‘beautiful metal’ that stores energy
16 May 2016
An unheralded metal could become a crucial part of the renewables revolution. Vanadium is used in new batteries which can store large amounts of energy almost indefinitely, perfect for remote wind or solar farms.
UK energy from coal hits zero for first time in 100 years
16 May 2016
The amount of electricity generated from coal in the UK has fallen to zero several times in the past week, grid data shows.
How updating office buildings can cut emissions
13 May 2016
Retrofitting New Zealand’s commercial buildings to use less fossil fuel-generated energy could cut greenhouse gas emissions by 666,000 tonnes – equivalent to the methane emissions from 200,000 dairy cows, a Wellington researcher has found.
Shell unveils vision of 2deg energy future
13 May 2016
Shell has published analysis for the first time on what it would take to meet international climate goals.
Carbon emissions rise in study of future energy
12 May 2016
Global carbon dioxide emissions from energy production are likely to rise 34 per cent, or 11 billion tonnes, between 2012 and 2040, says a new report.
Will taxpayers foot the bill for broke coal companies?
12 May 2016
Coal’s share of the US energy market is rapidly plunging. Low-cost fracking-generated natural gas has overtaken the use of coal at America’s power plants.
Solar industry fights lines companies' taxes
9 May 2016
The solar energy industry is fighting back against taxes being imposed by lines companies on customers installing panels on their homes, by taking a case to the Electricity Authority.
Nuclear power plant costs roll onwards and upwards
9 May 2016
Building nuclear power stations is becoming hugely more expensive by the day, but decommissioning old ones might prove to be even more costly.
Oil firms have 10 years to change strategy ... or die
9 May 2016
International oil companies such as Shell and BP must completely change their business model or face a “nasty, brutish and short” end within 10 years, one of Britain’s most influential energy experts has warned.
Better solar cells mean more energy from the sun
6 May 2016
Global demand for energy is increasing by the hour as developing countries move toward industrialisation.
Cut the kindling, Huntly could run on wood
4 May 2016
Converting the Huntly coal-fired power station to run on wood is technically feasible, but expensive.
Japan pays high price for ‘silo’ science
4 May 2016
Lack of scientific co-operation with other countries has cost Japan “trillions of yen” in expensive solar power because the country did not learn from the experience of other countries before rushing to install it, analysts say.
GE wants become big player in offshore wind
4 May 2016
General Electric wants to become a major player in the offshore wind industry and is interested in buying the Areva-Gamesa offshore joint-venture Adwen.
Phasing out fossil fuels more than just a straight swap
3 May 2016
To have any chance of preventing dangerous climate change, the world needs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero or even negative by mid-century.
US coal use down in nearly every state
2 May 2016
Coal consumption in the electric power sector has dropped in nearly every state between 2007 and 2015, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Alaska and Nebraska are the two outliers that experienced an increase in coal demand during this time.
Love thy neighbour and feel the power
29 Apr 2016
A new peer-to-peer solar power platform could see people buying electricity generated by their friends and neighbours.
Venezuela orders two-day week to tackle energy crisis
29 Apr 2016
Venezuela’s public sector has been ordered to work just two days a week to save energy.
San Diego aims to be largest 100% renewable US city
29 Apr 2016
San Diego is set to become the largest city in the United States to run on 100 per cent renewable energy after the mayor announced his support for a 2035 target.
Genesis extends life of Huntly coal-fired plant
28 Apr 2016
New Zealand’s coal-fired power station will remain open until 2022, but Genesis Energy says it is still committed to closing it.
We can survive without oil, says Saudi
26 Apr 2016
Saudi Arabia’s cabinet has approved Vision 2030, a package of economic reforms designed to reduce dependence on oil revenues.
San Francisco demands solar panels on new buildings
22 Apr 2016
San Francisco has unanimously passed legislation that would require new construction that is shorter than 10 floors to install solar panels or solar water heaters on top of both new residential and commercial buildings.
US-Canada pact eases Arctic drilling fears
21 Apr 2016
Low oil prices have reduced pressure to exploit Arctic fossil fuels and boosted hopes that the region’s fragile environment and indigenous people may be better protected.
Millions must choose between eating and heating
21 Apr 2016
An estimated 54 million Europeans suffer from energy poverty, according to a European Commission analysis, which blames rising prices, low income and energy inefficient homes for forcing people to choose between eating or heating.
Z Energy's biodiesel plant strikes gold
20 Apr 2016
Z Energy’s $26 million dollar biodiesel plant has earned it gold membership of the Bioenergy Association.
Nuclear costs are travelling in uncharted territory
20 Apr 2016
As some governments press on with new nuclear installations to address climate change, a multi-billion dollar industry will be needed to make safe old power plants and their hazardous waste.
Australian partners want $1b for clean energy move
20 Apr 2016
Australiafs Clean Energy Finance Corporation and infrastructure manager Palisade have announced a partnership to attract investment of $1 billion in clean energy projects.
Australia's air pollution increases 69%
19 Apr 2016
Air quality across Australia has deteriorated to alarming levels with the coal industry the nation's worst polluter, new data has shown.
Japan’s emissions fall to three-year low
19 Apr 2016
Japan’s greenhouse gas emissions have fallen to a three-year low due to growing use of renewable energy and reduced power demand.
Forgetting fossil fuels a turning point in history
18 Apr 2016
The head of a global philanthropic foundation says that the world turning away from fossil fuels is a critical moment in human history, akin to the abolition of slavery.
World Bank head warns against new coal plants
18 Apr 2016
The planet is in a race against time to stop construction of new coal-fired power plants across the globe, Word Bank head Jim Kim has told media.
Biggest coal company files for bankruptcy
15 Apr 2016
Peabody Energy, the world’s largest privately owned coal company, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, following a significant downturn in the coal market that left the company saddled with debt.
Solar sets UK record by beating coal for a day
15 Apr 2016
The sun provided British homes and businesses with more power than coal-fired power stations for 24 hours last weekend.
Big powers in push for small nuclear reactors
14 Apr 2016
Concerns are being raised about the billions of dollars being spent on research to design and build small nuclear reactors for electricity production.
China coal use: Here’s how to read the tea leaves
14 Apr 2016
As the largest emitter of carbon dioxide in the world, how much coal China is burning is of global interest.
BP playing fast and loose with future, by Bill McKibben
14 Apr 2016
As shareholders gather for BP’s AGM in London this week, they deserve to be made aware of just how at-risk their investments are — and what BP thinks about the future of the firm and the planet. Because the company their investments allow to operate is fourth in a list of the world’s top-emitting companies and was responsible for 2.47 per cent of global emissions from 1751-2010.
Nine ways steel could build a greener economy
13 Apr 2016
Steel might be the largest industrial carbon dioxide emitter, but Britain’s troubled industry could be a big part of a cleaner, greener future.
Couch potatoes have outsized energy footprints
13 Apr 2016
It is alluringly easy to use averages, but when most of a group is far from average, they can lead us astray. This is no less true in the area of energy consumption.
Why it makes sense for offshore drilling to wait
11 Apr 2016
From chants of “Drill, Baby, Drill” to outrage over the BP oil spill, offshore drilling has been highly controversial in recent years. Some view it as a vastly underused revenue source, while others see it as a grave environmental threat.
We keep flushing valuable energy down the drain
11 Apr 2016
Every time you flush your toilet or drain the bath, you’re losing something surprisingly valuable: heat.
Banks threaten to unleash infrastructure tsunami
8 Apr 2016
We are living in the most explosive era of infrastructure expansion in human history. The G20 nations, when they met in Australia in 2014, argued for between US$60 trillion and $70 trillion in new infrastructure investments by 2030, which would more than double the global total value of infrastructure.
Green business awards finalists pack energy punch
7 Apr 2016
Clean-energy projects highlighted in this year’s EECA awards will cut New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions by 120,000 tonnes a year.
Solar energy shines as power business shrinks
7 Apr 2016
The solar energy business was the bright spot in the shrinking global power business last year, a new report says.
Students give university the good oil on ethical investing
6 Apr 2016
Auckland University might be promoting the talk on sustainable investment this week, but that doesn’t mean it’s walking the walk itself.
That good addresses might not be so good for solar
31 Mar 2016
Auckland’s better-off suburbs are not as good for solar roof-top electricity generation as many of the city’s poorer suburbs, a computer modelling project by Auckland University school shows.
Lawyers complain to ombudsman over Govt failure to release LNG modelling
1 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Lawyers for Climate Action has made a formal complaint to the Ombudsman over the Government’s failure to release information about its controversial decision to build a LNG import terminal.
Fonterra admits ‘100% grass-fed’ claim breached law in greenwashing row
2 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Fonterra has admitted its “100% New Zealand grass-fed” claims on Anchor butter were misleading and breached the law, settling a case brought by Greenpeace Aotearoa over packaging used between December 2023 and April 2025.
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.
Free fares call as fuel crisis impacts school attendance
Wed 8 Apr 2026
An open letter is urging the Government to make public transport free for all school children and subsidised for students under 25, as rising fuel costs begin to impact attendance and access to education across the country.
Wellington planting nears one million trees
30 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Greater Wellington’s parks restoration programme will hit one million native trees this year, with the first dams to rewet peat wetlands in Queen Elizabeth Park now completed after a years-long effort to bring these ecosystems – and their carbon sequestering superpowers – back to life.
Businesses look for ways to cut costs in response to oil shock
1 Apr 2026
New Zealand’s small and medium-sized businesses are looking for ways to ease the pressure as global tensions see rising fossil fuel prices and diminishing supply, with decision-makers mulling measures including work-from-home polices and transport or logistics changes.
