New Zealand: Energy
How the pandemic lockdown slashed our greenhouse gas emissions
11 Sep 2020
New Zealand’s first covid-19 pandemic lockdown slashed the country’s consumption of oil to the lowest level since 1998, taking emissions of greenhouse gases from fuels to their lowest point in more than two decades.
Gas exploration won't be rushed, Beach tells EPA
9 Sep 2020
Any gas discovery by Beach Energy off the North Otago coast next year could require a further two years’ work to plan and prepare an appraisal drilling programme to determine how to develop it, the Environmental Protection Authority heard yesterday.
Green hydrogen breakthrough uses sun and water from the air
9 Sep 2020
Researchers have found a way to combine solar PV and water harvested from the air to produce low-cost green hydrogen, and are gearing up to put the zero-emissions fuel to the test in cars on Sydney roads.
New solar and lighting technologies could trigger an energy revolution
7 Sep 2020
Halide perovskites could revolutionise the energy sector.
Govt report sees frontline job in biocrude for Marsden
2 Sep 2020
The Marsden Point oil refinery could be used to catapault New Zealand into the age of making low-carbon crude from forest waste.
Only 10% of power companies putting renewables ahead of fossil-fuels
1 Sep 2020
Only one in 10 of the world’s electric utility companies are prioritising investment in clean renewable energy over growing their capacity of fossil fuel power plants, according to research from the University of Oxford.
Major investment firm dumps Exxon, Chevron and Rio Tinto
25 Aug 2020
A Nordic hedge fund worth more than $US90 billion (£68.6 billion) has dumped its stocks in some of the world’s biggest oil companies and miners responsible for lobbying against climate action.
Energy-and-transport plan key to emissions cuts
21 Aug 2020
Business is calling for integrated transport and energy planning to speed the country’s decarbonisation, saying increasing carbon prices can't do the job alone.
ConocoPhillips trying to freeze permafrost to drill more oil
20 Aug 2020
Melting permafrost is stymying ConocoPhillips' plans to drill 590 million barrels of oil from a reserve in Alaska, so it's trying to refreeze the ground.
Australian hydrogen company launches IPO
20 Aug 2020
Green hydrogen company Infinite Blue Energy is looking for $A2 million in investment before launching on the Australian stock exchange.
Global offshore wind industry takes huge strides
14 Aug 2020
Despite covid-19’s grim effects on many industries, the orders for the global offshore wind industry have increased dramatically in the first half of 2020, totalling $US35 billion, up 319 per cent on last year.
Nanotech turns bricks into batteries
13 Aug 2020
The humble house brick has been turned into a battery that can store electricity, raising the possibility that buildings could one day become literal powerhouses
South Africa tightens restrictions for new coal power in landmark ruling
10 Aug 2020
South Africa is tightening environmental demands for new coal-fired power plants, after a ‘landmark’ ruling that licences for water use should consider the risks of climate change.
Is this the end for King Coal in Britain?
10 Aug 2020
As the black stuff burnt in the United Kingdom plummets to a level not seen since the early steam age, The Guardian traces its long, deep history and the problems left in its wake.
India plans to fell ancient forest to create 40 new coalfields
10 Aug 2020
Narendra Modi’s dream of a "self-reliant India" comes at a terrible price for its indigenous population
BP cuts oil production in favour of green energy
7 Aug 2020
BP is taking its business in a new direction, announcing it will slash its oil and gas production by 40 per cent and increase its annual investment in low-carbon technology to $5 billion, a 10-fold increase over its current level.
Business risk and covid-19 are pushing Asian financiers away from coal
7 Aug 2020
The use of coal as an energy source is steadily declining in the US and Europe, but coal mining and the construction of coal-fired power plants continues across South and Southeast Asia.
Europe is going all-in on hydrogen power - why isn’t the US?
7 Aug 2020
Once upon a time, hydrogen was supposed to be the future of energy. The possibilities for hydrogen power seemed endless: it could fuel our cars, heat our homes, and even power our airplanes. But 175 years after the creation of the first “gas battery,” the technology has yet to reach its full potential.
Wood cheaper than electricity for emissions cuts, says Fonterra
5 Aug 2020
Fonterra favours wood over electricity for reducing emissions from its South Island plants.
Downstream turns on the power
4 Aug 2020
Pumped-hydro, a "blind" focus on renewable electricity instead of cutting emissions from all energy systems, and the closure of the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter are all on the agenda at this year's Downstream Conference. GAVIN EVANS of Businessdesk is there.
Big Oil takes big hit from covid-19
4 Aug 2020
The world's leading oil and gas giants are revealing the scale of the damage inflicted on the industry by the coronavirus pandemic, with top American companies reporting billions in losses while some European companies were able to eke out small profits.
More coal power-generation closed than opened last year
4 Aug 2020
The size of the global coal power fleet fell for the first time on record over the first six months of the year, with more generation capacity shutting than starting operation.
Big Hydro not the only way, says energy expert
27 Jul 2020
Paying industry not to use electricity during peak demand should be considered as an alternative to a multi-billion-dollar new hydro scheme, an energy expert says.
Stored electricity can make cleaner fuels
22 Jul 2020
With renewable energy now the cheapest way of mass-producing electricity, the race is on to find the best way to conserve the surplus for use at peak times, and also to use the stored electricity to develop new fuels for transport.
Making electricity from methane-rich water
21 Jul 2020
The massive Lake Kivu stores huge amounts of methane gas, which Rwanda is extracting to produce electricity.
Booming wood-pellet business is bad for the climate
14 Jul 2020
The United States' Environmental Protection Agency is expected to propose a new rule declaring burning biomass to be carbon neutral, as industry looks to expand its domestic markets.
Greens put pressure on coal-fired boilers
13 Jul 2020
The Green Party wants coal-fired industrial boilers outlawed within five years.
After the global oil and gas industry crash, what next?
13 Jul 2020
AN ESTIMATED $US1.6tn has been wiped from the global oil and gas industry this year, but the danger for Australia’s LNG sector remains little acknowledged.
ARDERN: Watch this space
6 Jul 2020
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is hinting at a major announcement on renewable energy.
$10b of precious metals dumped each year in e-waste
6 Jul 2020
At least $10 billion worth of gold, platinum and other precious metals are dumped every year in the growing mountain of electronic waste that is polluting the planet, according to a new UN report.
We've 'reached peak emissions and oil demand'
2 Jul 2020
Global oil demand and carbon dioxide emissions probably peaked in 2019 as the Covid-19 pandemic will have a lasting impact on both, says energy consultancy DNV GL.
Storing electricity under ground...
2 Jul 2020
A Texas company has plans to store surplus electricity under ground - in pressurised water.
...and in tall brick towers
2 Jul 2020
Welcome to the Energy Vault - a giant tower with a crane at its centre and thousands of massive stackable bricks, each weighing more than a fully loaded school bus.
Refinery rescue not on the agenda, says Jones
30 Jun 2020
The Government is aware of the role the Marsden Point oil refinery could play in the transition to a low-carbon economy, but buying it back is not on the agenda, the infrastructure minister says.
ASB owner faces Permian project questions
29 Jun 2020
ASB Bank owner the Commonwealth Bank of Australia faces questions from shareholders over its lending for gas projects, including the $3 billion Permian Gas highway pipeline in the United States.
Big Oil all talk about revolution, says report
16 Jun 2020
Fossil-fuel companies might be talking about an energy revolution, but their financial projections show they are largely ignoring it, a new report reveals.
Two-faced solar panels follow the sun
10 Jun 2020
Using solar panels with double sides or that can twist to follow the sun can cut the cost of electricity generation.
Hunt for the superconductors
5 Jun 2020
Physicists are on the lookout for room-temperature superconductors that could revolutionize the world’s energy system.
Clean energy cracker thing in a crisis
29 May 2020
Clean-energy companies are doing better in the covid-19 crisis than their fossil-fuel counterparts, says analytics company GlobalData.
How dangerous is low-level radiation for kids?
27 May 2020
A rethink on the risks of low-level radiation would imperil the nuclear industry’s future − perhaps why there’s never been one.
German coal generator fights Dutch coal phase-out
25 May 2020
Uniper is threatening to sue the Dutch government over a plan to phase out coal power by 2030, in a case experts warn could have a chilling effect on climate ambition internationally.
Hydrogen dream driven by greed, says expert
21 May 2020
New Zealand’s dream of a hydrogen-powered economy is being driven by greedy oil industry investors and “enchanted” government officials, an energy analyst says.0
At last, a fair deal for our atomic love affair
18 May 2020
However you view the argument, nuclear passions run strong. A new film gives us a breathless ride through our atomic love affair.
Wind might pass coal sooner than we thought
14 May 2020
A milestone in the clean energy transition may arrive earlier than expected, with renewables overtaking coal as a leading source of electricity by the end of this year.
Ammonia is the energy future, say scientists
12 May 2020
Forget hydrogen – the energy future is ammonia, Australia researchers say.
New renewables capacity hit record in 2019
8 Apr 2020
Almost three quarters of new electricity generation capacity built in 2019 uses renewable energy, representing an all-time record.
Todd wins sole exploration permit
6 Apr 2020
Todd Corporation, the country’s largest privately owned energy company, has won the country’s only new licence to explore for oil and gas.
Blue energy revolution comes of age
3 Apr 2020
The amount of energy generated by tides and waves in the past decade has increased 10-fold. Now governments around the world are planning to scale up these ventures to tap into the oceans’ vast store of blue energy.
Hydrogen not the answer for transport, says study
2 Apr 2020
Renewable hydrogen has the potential to slash the global greenhouse gas emissions of fossil fuel power generation by more than one-third, but it’s not the answer for low-carbon automotive transport, says a new report.
Offshore windfarms have future, say experts
30 Mar 2020
Offshore windfarms could stack up financially in New Zealand from the middle of the century, experts say.
Minister not concerned about potential economic impacts of ruling out offshore mitigation
Today 12:15pm
By Liz Kivi | Climate Change Minister Simon Watts isn’t worried that ruling out using offshore mitigation is effectively reneging from the Paris Agreement with potential to damage New Zealand’s economy and access to export markets.
Govt warned that scrapping ag emission pricing comes with risks
Today 12:15pm
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s move to halt plans for agricultural emissions pricing without replacing it with any other action will leave New Zealand facing a bigger gap to meet its third emissions budget, Environment ministry officials have warned.
Transport dominates NZ’s rising consumer emissions
Wed 10 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Transport pollution was the biggest contributor to an increase in New Zealand’s consumption-based emissions in 2023, with emissions from household travel up 12%, and consumption-based emissions totalling 58.3 million tonnes – up 1.6% from the previous year.
Christchurch Airport boasts world-first liquid-hydrogen refuelling for test aircraft
30 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | Local companies working on hydrogen-electric flight have made ‘a significant step forward’ in successfully filling aviation tanks with liquid hydrogen produced and stored on-site at an international airport for the first time.
Uncertainty eroding confidence in forestry sector
Fri 5 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Warnings are mounting that tree planting is set to plunge to “very close to zero”, as new Ministry for Primary Industries data shows ETS registration applications falling sharply as confidence in forestry declines.
Investors must support positive climate-tech
28 Nov 2025
OPINION: We need better leadership than the current ‘climate opportunism’ that is rife in the Beehive, and we need to back a marketplace that will make it happen, writes Rob Campbell.
