New Zealand: Energy
Renewables could grow 50% in next five years
23 Oct 2019
Global supplies of renewable electricity are growing faster than expected and could expand by 50 per cent in the next five years, powered by a resurgence in solar energy.
High carbon price has downside, says gentailer
17 Oct 2019
High carbon prices could hinder electrification of New Zealand’s energy sector, the country’s largest electricity retailer says.
Shell has no choice but to keep drilling, says CEO
16 Oct 2019
Shell CEO Ben van Beurden has warned of the consequences of rejecting oil and gas too quickly.
Fossil fuel industry has seen the future ... and it's plastic
14 Oct 2019
How will Big Oil adapt as fossil fuel demand wanes with the rise of renewable energy and battery power? The answer is plastic.
Why nuclear power is not the answer
1 Oct 2019
With new plants costing from five to 10 times more than renewable options, and taking far longer to build, nuclear power cannot help against global warming.
NZ sets new mark for coal-fired electricity
27 Sep 2019
New Zealand has burnt more coal to make electricity this winter than in any June quarter since 2014.
Thermal battery producer heats up storage market
10 Sep 2019
An Australian thermal energy storage company has reached in-principle agreements to pilot thermal batteries in the telecommunication and eco-housing industries.
Government has eye on hydrogen future
2 Sep 2019
Last week it was lithium and cobalt in the Government’s sights; this week it’s hydrogen.
There's plenty of renewable energy out there
30 Aug 2019
US and European researchers have shown the way to an era of cheap and plentiful renewable energy on a massive scale.
BP selling Alaska assets to troubled private firm
29 Aug 2019
BP is selling all of its Alaska operations to Hilcorp, a privately-owned company with a troubled safety and environmental track-record.
Todd Corporation sees big future for natural gas
14 Aug 2019
The country’s largest private energy company says gas should continue to play a large part in New Zealand’s energy mix - and that climate action shouldn’t come at the expense of economy or living standards.
Storage key to renewable energy success
8 Aug 2019
The cost of storing energy needs to fall 90 per cent to make renewables globally competitive, researchers say.
Portugal solar energy auction sets record
6 Aug 2019
Portugal’s huge auction of solar energy broke a world record, with one of the 24 licences on offer selling for 14.76 euros ($NZ25.30) per megawatt hour.
How Big Oil can sue for loss of profits
29 Jul 2019
Campaigners are urging reform of an obscure system that allows coal, oil and gas companies to sue governments if climate policies hit their profits.
Meridian predicts renewables will rule
26 Jul 2019
Rising carbon prices and competition will drive New Zealand towards an electricity system based almost entirely on renewables, the country’s largest generator is predicting.
How science can double the solar dividend
23 Jul 2019
Researchers have found three new ways to double the solar dividend, making the sun work harder and deliver more to the renewable economy.
Why efficiency is the key to cheaper energy
19 Jul 2019
Improving energy efficiency is a cheaper way of meeting New Zealand’s 100 per cent renewable electricity target than building new power stations, a Government agency says.
Refinery wants to cut costs with solar farm
10 Jul 2019
Installing a solar farm at the Marsden Point oil refinery will cut the operation’s greenhouse gases by 18,000 tonnes a year.
China's solar plants pay the price for dirty air
9 Jul 2019
Air pollution is affecting the performance of China’s solar-energy farms, scientists say.
LNG industry could be as bad as coal, experts warn
9 Jul 2019
THE booming liquefied natural gas industry will play at least as big a role as new coal investments in bringing on a climate crisis if all planned projects go ahead, energy analysts say.
Heat waves threaten nuclear power production
5 Jul 2019
The nuclear power sector is often portrayed as resistant to unpredictable weather associated with climate change. But heat waves are punching holes in that narrative.
Today's power plants already lock in 1.5deg
3 Jul 2019
To stay within the Paris climate goals, coal and other fossil fuel-fired power plants would have to shut down early or be retrofitted for carbon capture.
Solar future shines ever more brightly
2 Jul 2019
The world’s solar future continues to brighten, further and faster than seemed possible only a few years ago.
G20 countries triple coal-power subsidies
26 Jun 2019
G20 countries have almost tripled the subsidies they give to coal-fired power plants in recent years. G20 countries have almost tripled the subsidies they give to coal-fired power plants in recent years.
Oil companies make carbon promise to the Pope
19 Jun 2019
Some of the major oil producers have pledged to support “economically meaningful” carbon pricing regimes after a personal appeal from Pope Francis.
Hydrogen could be big by 2050, say experts
19 Jun 2019
Engineers say there is no technical reason why hydrogen cannot replace natural gas to make electricity, heat homes and for cooking.
Hopes falter with coal still king across Asia
18 Jun 2019
A depressing picture of global power generation has coal still firmly on top. And in a vicious cycle, the very heatwaves and winter freezes that high carbon emissions cause seem to be increasing them.
Troubled gas supply means jump in coal emissions
14 Jun 2019
The repeated shut-down of the country’s largest gas field for maintenance has led to a surge in greenhouse gas emissions from coal-burning.
More rain brings big problems for dam builders
11 Jun 2019
For the builders of hydro-electric schemes – usually multi-billion dollar projects involving vast amounts of complex engineering work – changing rainfall is a serious problem.
It's going to take a long time, says former BP chief
10 Jun 2019
Former BP chief John Browne talks about squaring his business dealings with his personal convictions – and what he would say to Greta Thunberg.
Global natural gas boom about to slow
10 Jun 2019
The world’s appetite for natural gas grew at the fastest pace since 2010 last year, but that blockbuster growth is shifting into lower gear, according to the International Energy Agency.
Todd ups investment in renewable energy
28 May 2019
New Zealand’s largest private energy company is increasing its investment in renewables.
METHANE MOVES: Give poos a chance
15 May 2019
Technologies like turning human waste into electricity could meet a large chunk of the Government's 2030 methane reduction target.
Gulf states shape as green energy superpowers
3 May 2019
The economic and political energy systems suggest that oil-rich countries of the Arabian Gulf will continue to dominate energy trade even in the post-fossil era.
Dutch building string of solar islands
26 Apr 2019
Dutch engineers are building what will be the world’s largest archipelago of islands made up of sun-tracking solar panels.
Hydrogen has a place, says new Clark group
4 Apr 2019
Hydrogen fuel could replace the Huntly coal and gas-fired power station to give New Zealand a totally renewable electricity generation system, the Helen Clark Foundation says in its first foray into public policy.
Mercury gives go-ahead for Turita wind farm
28 Mar 2019
Energy generator and retailer Mercury says it is going ahead with what will be the country’s third-largest wind farm.
Taranaki eyes future in hydrogen economy
19 Mar 2019
Taranaki is talking up the hydrogen economy to replace its petrochemical wealth.
New ultra-thin material seen as breakthrough
19 Mar 2019
A new ultra-thin film that absorbs solar energy could revolutionise the harvesting of solar thermal energy.
HOT CHOCOLATE: Cocoa is helping to slow climate change
19 Mar 2019
If you like chocolate you’ll love this: the same tree that provides your indulgent treat is helping to slow climate change, thanks to cocoa fuel.
Hydrogen could be fuel of the future
18 Mar 2019
The fuel used to thrust enormous rockets away from Earth’s gravitational pull is hydrogen - and it also holds potential as a source of energy for daily activities like driving and heating houses.
Why radical plan to cool climate could work
18 Mar 2019
A new study contradicts fears that using solar geoengineering to fight climate change could dangerously alter rainfall and storm patterns in some parts of the world.
Coal-fired stations deliver danger dust
13 Mar 2019
Modern coal-fired power stations produce more ultrafine dust particles than road traffic and can even modify and redistribute rainfall patterns, a new 15-year international study shows.
Bioenergy body hails hospital move to wood
12 Mar 2019
A decision to replace two coal-fired boilers at Christchurch Hospital with boilers that burn wood will help to create confidence in the woody biomass market, the Bioenergy Association says.
Wind turbine pioneer slams NZ procrastination
11 Mar 2019
A wind turbine company set up to make New Zealand “the Denmark of the Southern Hemisphere” is barely surviving because New Zealand continues to prop up dying industries, its founder says.
Fossil-fuel wealthy Taranaki faces major rethink
5 Mar 2019
The New Plymouth District Council might need to rethink the services it provides for its residents as the district’s fossil-fuel wealth declines, says a report out today.
Biomass energy could punch hole in emissions
28 Feb 2019
New Zealand could slash five million tonnes off its annual greenhouse gas emissions through the use of biomass energy in factories and for heavy transport, new figures show.
Industrial plants see low carbon price as barrier
22 Feb 2019
Low carbon prices are stopping many large plants switching to low-emissions fuels, a report says.
Coal giant Glencore to limit production
21 Feb 2019
Commodities giant Glencore has bowed to pressure from shareholders to limit coal production for environmental reasons.
Big companies might leave, warns oil sector
20 Feb 2019
Cutting carbon subsidies for trade-exposed heavy emitters could see large companies leave the country, says the oil and gas sector.
Policy churn ‘bewildering and costly’: Commissioner urges cross-party fix for environmental management
Thu 9 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton warns that fragmented, stop–start policy and constant law reform are stalling progress on climate, freshwater and biodiversity.
SPECIAL BULLETIN: Govt weakens methane target
Sun 12 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has ignored the Climate Change Commission’s advice to strengthen methane targets and has instead weakened them significantly.
Govt releases updated emissions projections
Mon 13 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Ministry for the Environment has released updated emissions projections to 2050, which show significant differences to the Climate Change Commission's recent projections for the same period.
Air NZ inks deal for its first internationally verified carbon credits
Thu 9 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | Air New Zealand has committed to buying 8000 tonnes of carbon removals by 2030, in partnership with local native forest investment platform My Native Forest.
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 credibility gap widening for Aussie firms
1 Oct 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Australian public companies’ climate change commitments are in retreat, reflecting difficulty in achieving stated targets and increased fossil use, but not because of any pressure to make less effort, according to a study of major companies’ ESG reporting.
