New Zealand: Energy
Solar returning to the White House
8 Oct 2010
There are to be solar panels on the White House, but not on the Beehive.
Delays frustrate Kaipara tidal energy developer
24 Sep 2010
Endless planning delays are hindering investment in marine energy in New Zealand, says the man behind plans for a tidal energy plant on the Kaipara Harbour.
Brownlee chuffed with geothermal figures
17 Sep 2010
Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee is hailing a shift from coal to geothermal electricity generation as a sign that the market can deliver on climate change.
Maari reaches ‘10 million barrel’ milestone
17 Sep 2010
The Maari oil-field produced its 10 millionth barrel of oil this week, marking a significant milestone in the field’s history.
Meridian, landowners talk on North Bank hydro project
17 Sep 2010
Meridian Energy has begun consultation with landowners on a proposed design for the North Bank Hydro Project.
Bioenergy material going to waste, says report
10 Sep 2010
More than a quarter of New Zealand's energy needs - and nearly a third of our transport fuels - could come from energy crops and materials that are currently wasted, according to a new report.
LanzaTech signs for first coal-to-biological-fuel project
10 Sep 2010
New Zealand's LanzaTech has signed a deal with one of China's largest coal producers to produce fuels and chemicals from waste.
Mighty River likes look of carbon market
3 Sep 2010
Mighty River Power says it has ideas that could see its involvement in the carbon market stretch beyond buying credits to offset its own liabilities.
We pay $11m too much, say major power users
3 Sep 2010
The Emissions Trading Scheme is costing large commercial electricity users $11 million a year more than it should, the Major Electricity Users Group claims.
Go for natural gas - the price is right
3 Sep 2010
The global economic situation is making it easier for companies to switch from carbon-rich coal to more environmentally friendly natural gas.
Top Energy sells Fiji operation
20 Aug 2010
After almost four years operating in the Fiji Islands, local electricity generation and lines network company, Top Energy has announced it has sold its operations there.
Meridian to build huge Aussie wind farm
13 Aug 2010
Meridian has done another deal to build a wind farm in Australia.
Coal-fired station predicts cut in emissions
6 Aug 2010
Genesis Energy – operator of the carbon-coughing Huntly coal-fired power station – says its emissions levels for the past financial year are down on the previous year.
Mighty River offers carbon deals to landowners
6 Aug 2010
Mighty River Power wants to do more deals with landowners for carbon credits.
Lightbulbs - so you think you know the difference
6 Aug 2010
A new experiment suggests that most New Zealanders can’t tell the difference between the light from convention lightbulbs and the new energy-efficient models – despite thinking that they can.
Fuel prices mainly unaffected by ETS
6 Aug 2010
Retail fuel prices remained virtually unchanged during July, despite the introduction of the Emissions Trading Scheme, says a petrol-price watchdog.
Official energy website wins award
30 Jul 2010
The government's Energywise website has won at an award at this Internet Industry Awards, held at Parliament this week.
Vector shows off first of new-tech solar systems
23 Jul 2010
The electricity distributor behind today’s launch of the country’s largest thin-film solar panel installation predicts such schemes will be commercially viable within three to five years.
NZ energy firm finds Aussie scheme profitable
23 Jul 2010
A New Zealand company is making money out of Australian schemes to improve energy efficiency.
Government releases energy update
23 Jul 2010
The Government has released draft updates of the country's Energy and Energy Efficiency And Conservation strategies.
Businesses could carve $2b off energy bills
2 Jul 2010
New Zealand businesses could shave $2 billion off the country’s $16 billion annual energy bill – and cut the country’s Kyoto bill - by adopting some simple, relatively inexpensive measures.
Company tax cut puts $21m on Vector's books
18 Jun 2010
The company tax rate cut from 30 per cent to 28 per cent will provide energy company Vector with a one-off $21 million net profit benefit.
Renewable generation remains high
18 Jun 2010
Renewable electricity generation remained high at 73 per cent of total electricity generation in the March 2010 quarter, Minister of Energy and Resources Gerry Brownlee says.
LanzaTech eyes oil and coal waste gases
11 Jun 2010
Emissions-to-ethanol pioneer LanzaTech is turning its sights on the oil and coal industries.
'Sensible' Norway halts new oil drilling, say Greens
11 Jun 2010
The Greens are calling on the Governent to follow Norway's lead and put a moratorium on new oil exploration drilling until such time as the Deepwater Horizon incident has been fully investigated.
Inventor claims he's beaten energy storage problems
4 Jun 2010
A New Zealand inventor says he has come up with a cheap and practical way of storing solar energy for heating buildings.
Kiwis 'throwing away millions' in electricity savings
4 Jun 2010
New Zealand households are collectively paying at least $129 million a year more than they need to in electricity charges by using inefficient light bulbs, according to new statistics released this week.
Power companies explain ETS price rises
28 May 2010
At least one of the power companies implementing price rises on the back of the Emissions Trading Scheme is basing its calculations on the maximum carbon price.
Big player Genesis turns carbon market builder
14 May 2010
Big-emitting Genesis Energy is using its size to help to build liquidity in the fledgling New Zealand carbon market.
Kiwi companies eye $800m Canberra fund
14 May 2010
New Zealand companies might be eligible for a slice of an $800 million Australian pie.
Gull might import ethanol to meet fuel demand
23 Apr 2010
Gull Energy says it is considering importing ethanol because of a lack of Government support to get the local industry moving.
We're putting $650b into renewable energy
23 Apr 2010
Global Investments in renewable energy are expected to reach $US653.35 billion by 2015, a new report says.
Solid Energy lawyers check out free credits
9 Apr 2010
Solid Energy is investigating whether it qualifies for free credits under the emissions trading scheme.
Coal users count the cost - but how much?
26 Mar 2010
Coal users are about to find out just how much carbon could cost them.
NZ pioneer sells first overseas clean-tech rights
19 Mar 2010
A New Zealand company has just sold the first overseas licensing rights for its clean-tech energy and communications technology.
NZ drags chain on clean-tech, says Crest director
19 Feb 2010
A five-year legal battle to get permission to build a tidal energy plant on the Kaipara Harbour shows why New Zealand is falling behind on clean-tech development, says one of its proponents.
Wind grows share of power generation
12 Feb 2010
Wind generation capacity in New Zealand grew by more than 50 per cent last year and now provides more than 3 per cent of New Zealand's power.
Power stations switch turns off Meridian
11 Dec 2009
A Government-forced swap of power stations between State-owned power companies could damage Meridian Energy’s carbon-neutral status.
OBITUARY: Kiwi pioneered biochar research
4 Dec 2009
A New Zealander who was a world pioneer in advocating the use of biochar to sequester carbon has died en route to the international climate change talks in Copenhagen.
ASX green move means good news for NZ
9 Oct 2009
A move by ASX into the green economy will be good for New Zealanders and New Zealand emitters, says local carbon trader Nigel Brunel.
Renewable power runs at 70 per cent
18 Sep 2009
Seventy per cent of New Zealand's electricity generation in the June quarter came from renewable sources.
Bio-oil from wood trials excite backers
21 Aug 2009
New Zealand’s first wood-to-bio-oil plant is proving the technology is viable, its backers say.
Pioneer Pers is making waves in Denmark
21 Aug 2009
Reporter Angela Gregory continues her series on the greening of Denmark - site of a major international climate change conference later this year.
Meridian buys US solar-farm developer
21 Aug 2009
Meridian Energy has bought an American photovoltaic solar farm developer.
Wind energy key to cutting electricity emissions
14 Aug 2009
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity sector will be vital in reaching the government’s 2020 reduction target, but policy certainty is needed urgently, says the New Zealand Wind Energy Association.
Crest can't get its hands on million-dollar grant
7 Aug 2009
The first recipient of the Government’s Marine Energy Deployment Fund has yet to see any of the $1.85 million it was granted in May last year because it is still going through the resource consents process for its project.
Coal pushes NZ's emissions up
24 Jul 2009
New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions have risen again, with coal the biggest culprit.
Companies link to hasten biofuel production
24 Jul 2009
Two New Zealand companies are joining forces to clean up water and produce biofuel.
NZ House told to green up its act
24 Jul 2009
The EU’s impatience at New Zealand dragging its feet on implementing the ETS scheme has taken concrete form - NZ must pay to double-glaze its energy-inefficient High Commission building in London.
Straterra goes to bat for mining industry
24 Jul 2009
Straterra, the freshly minted cross-industry resources lobby, has moved into its new offices in the Contractors' Federation premises in the Wellington parliamentary precinct.
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.
