New Zealand: Energy
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.
Exxon rejects shareholder climate demands
27 May 2016
Following the recommendation of the ExxonMobil board of directors, shareholders voted against six resolutions that would have addressed climate change at the company's annual shareholder meeting in Dallas yesterday.
China solar has coal in its sights
26 May 2016
Declining costs in China’s solar industry could allow the government to reduce prices offered to photovoltaic developers by more than a third by 2020 and see plants powered by the sun become competitive with coal within a decade.
US now has 27.2 gigawatts of solar energy
26 May 2016
One million solar power installations now dot America's rooftops and landscape, an achievement being hailed as a milestone by advocates of solar energy.
Shell to cut another 2200 jobs
26 May 2016
Royal Dutch Shell is to cut at least another 2,00 jobs, with around 475 of those coming from its UK and Ireland oil and gas production business.
Poland limits where wind farms can be built
26 May 2016
Poland has adopted a new law banning construction of wind farms close to dwellings and hiking project costs in a move which the industry says could hobble the country's move to renewables and away from coal.
Take a hard look at investments, insurers warned
25 May 2016
Insurance companies should be taking a hard look at their exposure to investment in fossil-fuel assets, a new report says.
Fracking makes US top fossil fuels producer
25 May 2016
Thanks to the fracking boom, the US has surpassed Saudi Arabia and Russia to become the world’s leading producer of oil in 2013. The US became the top natural gas producer in 2011, and has led the world in both oil and gas production for four years in a row.
Solar operator slams vested interests in pro-EV report
24 May 2016
A report that says switching to electric vehicles will do more to prevent climate change than would installing solar panels was funded by the big generators and lines companies with a vested interest in keeping solar out of the industry, says the head of an energy company using solar panels to generate power for its customers.
Oil majors tread cautiously toward renewables
24 May 2016
The big oil companies’ on-off affair with renewable energies seems to be back on track.
Coal-giant shareholders vote for disclosure
24 May 2016
Glencore investors have agreed that the largest exporter of coal burned for power should provide more information on risks to its business from growing levels of government legislation to tackle climate change.
Proud Portugal just set a renewable energy record
23 May 2016
Portugal last week set a record for renewable energy use. Through a combination of hydroelectric, solar, and wind power, electricity use in the country was completely covered for four consecutive days.
Indonesia deepens reliance on coal power
20 May 2016
Indonesia, already one of the world’s biggest carbon emitters, plans to build a further 100 coal-fired power stations by 2019.
Europe has high hopes for smart meters
20 May 2016
Europe’s move to replace at least 80 per cent of electricity meters with smart meters could cut greenhouse gas emissions in the region by 9 per cent.
Outcry as Norway opens new areas to exploration
20 May 2016
Norway has warded Arctic drilling licences to 13 oil companies, including in a hitherto unexplored part of the Barents Sea, drawing condemnation from environmental groups.
Energy awards show what the country can do
19 May 2016
Innovations worth 1.2 petajoules of energy and 120,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions were honoured in Auckland last night.
Glad tidings for the potential of sea power
19 May 2016
Two countries with the highest tides in the world, Canada and the UK, both claim to be the world leaders in creating electricity from the tides.
Europe needs independent carbon market regulator
19 May 2016
Europe needs an independent carbon market regulator with clear objectives rather than the current mix of state administrators and the European Commission that has complicated the market, says the chief executive of Total.
Renewables leaving natural gas in the dust
19 May 2016
In the first three months of 2016, the U.S. grid added 18 megawatts of new natural gas generating capacity. It added a whopping 1291MW of new renewables.The renewables were primarily wind (707 MW) and solar (522 MW).
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.
Green building council calls for clean energy policies
Mon 18 May 2026
The New Zealand Green Building Council has released its 2026 election manifesto calling for policies to reduce energy waste in buildings, lower household and business energy costs, and improve New Zealand’s energy security.
Greens condemn planned coal mine next to protected wetland
4 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Green Party says a new plan for a coal mine and fertiliser plant next to an internationally significant wetland is “ecological vandalism and climate denial.”
Climate pollution static but NZ still on track for first emissions budget, says MfE
17 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand is still on track to meet its first emissions budget, according to the Ministry for the Environment, despite the pace of emissions reductions slowing to a standstill.
NZ at risk of falling behind on EV transition
Fri 22 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | An EV lobby group is warning that New Zealand is at a crossroads on transport electrification, with inconsistent policy settings and lagging charging infrastructure slowing uptake, while global adoption accelerates and fuel price shocks renew interest in electric vehicles.
Govt presses ahead with forestry rule changes despite opposition
14 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government is pushing ahead with changes to commercial forestry rules despite most submitters opposing the proposals, with critics warning the reforms will weaken councils’ ability to manage erosion and forestry slash risks in vulnerable regions such as Tairāwhiti.
Victorian Hydrogen announces Southland urea fertiliser project using coal
22 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Australian-based Victorian Hydrogen has announced it is developing a new 1.5 million-tonne-a-year urea fertiliser operation in Southland, which it will apply for under fast-track legislation.
