New Zealand: Energy
MAF excited at finding cellulose perennial solution to biofuels
29 Aug 2008
A MAF report indicates that using 12 per cent of the nation’s pastoral land to grow herbaceous feed-stocks for bioethanol production would provide equivalent energy to that “derived from current total petrol usage.”
National goes quiet on coal-fired power
26 Aug 2008
The National Party is tamping down any discussion on the value of coal-fired power, in spite of coal comprising up 95 per cent of recoverable fuel reserves and in sufficient volume to last for 1500 years.
Northland gives nod to Kaipara tidal energy project
22 Aug 2008
Crest Energy has passed a major hurdle in its bid to set up a tidal energy plant at the mouth of the Kaipara Harbour.
Genesis and Rodney council reach understanding on wastewater
22 Aug 2008
Genesis Energy and the Rodney District Council have taken joint plans to build a new wastewater plant for Helensville a step further with the signing of a memorandum of understanding - despite allegations that the power giant is buying community support for it's proposed power station.
Niwa scientists take serious look at algae for biofuel
22 Aug 2008
The sudden falling-from-grace of biofuels because of links to food shortages and food-price rises has intensified research into local algae sources by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research.
Wind-turbine pioneer sceptical about National policy
12 Aug 2008
New Zealand’s major wind turbine-manufacturing company says it doubts a National government would support the wind-energy sector.
Nats to reveal energy policy this week
12 Aug 2008
The National Party will release its energy policy on Thursday, spokesman Gerry Brownlee confirmed to Carbon News yesterday.
Council delays decision on Kaipara tidal-power station
12 Aug 2008
The Northland Regional Council says it will announce its decision on Crest Energy’s tidal-energy resource consent application next week.
Caygill, Cayford new members on EECA
12 Aug 2008
Energy Minister David Parker has announced three appointments to the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority Board.
Nuclear power definitely not an option: Greens
12 Aug 2008
Green Party Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons describes Matthew Hooten as ‘indulging in some wishful thinking’ in the Sunday Star Times this week.
Pike River deal trebles forecast revenues for first coal production
8 Aug 2008
Pike River Coal, due to come on-stream later this year, appears to have secured a contract that trebles the per-tonne revenues anticipated in last year’s prospectus.
Supreme Court still quiet on Rodney gas power station
8 Aug 2008
Greenpeace and Genesis Energy are still waiting on the Supreme Court ruling on the proposed Kaukapakapa gas-fired power station - more than two months after the issue went before the court.
Crest expects Kaipara tidal power decision next week
8 Aug 2008
Crest Energy could know by Tuesday whether it has the go-ahead for its Kaipara tidal energy scheme.
Coal-seam gas exploration operations to begin
8 Aug 2008
L&M Petroleum is pleased to announce that it has entered into a contract with Washingtons Exploration Limited’s to use its Rig #8 to drill the first three coal seam gas (CSG) wells to be drilled in the Company’s 2008 CSG exploration programme.
Unhappy Argent questions future of NZ biodiesel industry
5 Aug 2008
Argent Energy, which last week announced it is pulling out of plans to invest $100 million in biodiesel in New Zealand, is questioning the future of the industry.
'Too busy' Key suddenly finds time to meet power station opponents
5 Aug 2008
National Party leader John Key has now found time in his diary to meet opponents of Genesis Energy’s proposed gas-fired power station near Helensville as the community splits over allegations that the generator is buying local support.
Tiny turbines to power Antarctic science station
5 Aug 2008
Wind turbine maker Proven Energy has won the contract to supply eight of its small six-kilowatt turbines for Belgium’s Princess Elisabeth Antarctic research station.
Biofuels player pulls $100m plug on New Zealand plant
1 Aug 2008
A British biofuels company is pulling its $100-million investment out of New Zealand, blaming the Government’s Biofuels Bill.
ANALYSIS: Show faith in our emerging biofuels industry
1 Aug 2008
Today’s news that UK-based Argent Energy is pulling out of New Zealand because of what it sees as the distorted biofuels market which the Biofuels Bill has failed to address should sound large alarm bells in Government circles – but will anyone be listening?
National not opposing Helensville gas-fired power station plan
1 Aug 2008
The National Party says that it is “not intrinsically opposed” to Genesis Energy’s proposed power station in party leader John Key's Helensville electorate.
TrustPower rides rocky RMA road to win Mahinerangi approval
1 Aug 2008
The Environment Court’s interim decision to approve TrustPower’s proposed Mahinerangi windfarm in Otago brings the first stage of building one step closer - but the company remains frustrated by RMA snarl-ups.
Government reopens marine energy chequebook
1 Aug 2008
The second round of Government funding for marine energy development is open.
Millions on research could mean billions in earnings
29 Jul 2008
Research into renewable energy is booming – and could lead to multi-billion-dollar earnings if New Zealanders can get their products to the market first.
Coal, wind, waves - the hunt is on for hydrogen energy
25 Jul 2008
Research is under way in New Zealand to produce hydrogen energy from coal, wind and biomass – and maybe even waves.
Energy authority cock-a-hoop over Tegel heat recovery success
25 Jul 2008
The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority is using Tegel Foods as a reference site for the efficiency of its own carbon dioxide emissions reduction incentive scheme.
Goldsmith organisation condemns plans for importing biofuels into NZ
25 Jul 2008
The Pacific Institute of Resource Management, headquartered in Wellington, and which has London-based environmentalist Edward Goldsmith as a director, believes that in importing biofuels into New Zealand will revert to the plantations and indentured labour era.
Neptune in turbine talks over Cook Strait tidal energy plans
22 Jul 2008
New Zealand marine energy pioneer Neptune Power is in negotiations with the Newcastle-on-Tyne-based manufacturer of its prototype turbine about forming a tidal energy turbine company.
Meridian building windfarms in Australia and Antarctica
22 Jul 2008
Meridian Energy is spreading its wind farm expertise offshore – taking a 50 per cent holding in the Southern Hemisphere’s largest wind farm, being built in Australia, and working on projects in Antarctica.
Contact plans wind farm for Southern Hawke's Bay
22 Jul 2008
Contact Energy has launched plans for a $500 million, 65-turbine, 177 megawatt wind farm near Dannevirke.
National Party hopeful targets Indonesian coal used at Huntly
18 Jul 2008
The importing of “safe” coal from Indonesia as a substitute for our own plentiful – but more politically sensitive - variety is a National Party plank that will resonate between now and the general election.
Biofuel subsidies waste of money, says OECD report
18 Jul 2008
Government subsidies for biofuels are not helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new OECD report.
Pure Power looking to up New Zealand investment
15 Jul 2008
Singapore-based bio-energy company Pure Power is on the look-out for more investment opportunities in New Zealand.
Crest waits for Kaipara nod as Portugal prepares to plug in to wave power
15 Jul 2008
While Portugal gears up to launch the first commercial ocean energy generators, Crest Energy’s proposed Kaipara tidal energy project might take another step forward next week after the committee reviewing its resource consent application meets.
Waste-to-biofuel developer wins $12m in state funding
15 Jul 2008
A New Zealand company with plans to turn industrial waste gases into biofuel will receive $12 million of Government science funding.
Contact Energy’s pending parent determined to go nuclear
15 Jul 2008
Centrica, the UK parent of British Gas, which seeks to acquire Origin, and thus New Zealand’s Contact Energy, is involved in talks with EDF, the French power utility.
Gas the way to go for home heating, say manufacturers
11 Jul 2008
Switching to gas and LPG for heating our water, our homes and for cooking could reduce New Zealand’s CO2 emissions by nearly two million tonnes each year and provide an important interim step towards renewable energy solutions, say New Zealand’s gas and LPG associations.
New gas system will make it easier to switch supplier
11 Jul 2008
Competition in the gas retailing sector will get a boost from March when a simplified system will make switching retailers easier.
Branch out into willow, biofuel maker urges farmers
8 Jul 2008
An international renewable energy company with strong roots in New Zealand is looking for local farmers to plant willow for biofuels and bioproducts.
Wind-generated electricity blows past 2007 figures
4 Jul 2008
The contribution of wind energy to New Zealand’s electricity supply has increased significantly, figures released yesterday by the Ministry of Economic Development show.
Energy summit chance for power players to let off steam
4 Jul 2008
The timing of the Energy Summit to be held at Te Papa in Wellington on the September 15 and 16 will turn up the heat on the energy sector as an election issue.
Contact Energy drops Environment Court appeal against Meridian wind farm
27 Jun 2008
Contact Energy has dropped its Environment Court appeal against Meridian’s Project Hayes wind farm, saying that the issues that prompted its appeal have already been well canvassed during the Trustpower Mahinerangi consent hearings.
Genesis starts $100 million entry into carbon market
20 Jun 2008
Electricity giant Genesis Energy will need to surrender $100 million in carbon credits to the Government in 2011 - and executives leave for Europe today on a mission to start buying them.
Solid energy assessing coal-to-transport fuel scheme
20 Jun 2008
Solid Energy is in the assessment phase of a scheme to convert lignite into premium transport fuels.
Pike River coal manages emissions and looks forward to price increases
20 Jun 2008
Pike River Coal is poised to take advantage of demand from Japan that will double the price of coking coal in the next year alone, says McDouall Stuart which acted as lead manager for Pike River Coal’s 2007 IPO and 2008 rights issue.
Extreme low hydro inflows reduces TrustPower's profit outlook
18 Jun 2008
The New Zealand major hydro storage lakes have been as low as 49% and are currently 55% of average for this time of the year and the electricity industry has commenced a nationwide power savings campaign.
Lights out for the incandescent bulb
18 Jun 2008
The traditional incandescent light bulb is on its way out, as part of a strategy for more energy efficient lighting announced today by Energy Minister David Parker and Government Spokesperson on Energy Efficiency and Conservation Jeanette Fitzsimons.
Kiwis cut power use 2%, advertisements and rain now due
13 Jun 2008
The Winter Power Group advised today that television advertisements encouraging consumers to become ‘powersavers’ will begin this Sunday 15 June.
Hydro lakes at their lowest this year
13 Jun 2008
National Party Energy spokesman Gerry Brownlee says for the sake of the country he hopes the forecast heavy rains make a real difference to the southern hydro lakes this week.
Kaipara marine energy plan worries fishermen
12 Jun 2008
More than half the 121 objectors to Crest Energy’s Kaipara Harbour tidal energy project say they are worried about the impact the project will have on fishing.
Push for wider use of geothermal energy, using "low heat" resources
12 Jun 2008
New Zealanders will have more opportunity to use heat energy drawn directly from the ground in the future as a result of research being led by GNS Science.
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
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.
Climate reporting rollback raises risk of 'flying blind', experts warn
Today 11:30am
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Government plans to drastically narrow mandatory climate disclosures may reduce compliance costs in the short term – but critics say it will leave New Zealand with major blind spots in tracking climate risk.
