New Zealand: Energy
Big Gas wants exploration ban put on hold
17 Oct 2018
Five of the country’s biggest users of natural gas want the Government’s ban on exploration for new reserves put on hold while a “detailed” assessment of the role of gas is carried out.
Bioenergy will lead the way, predicts IEA
11 Oct 2018
“Modern” bioenergy will lead the global expansion of renewable energy up to 2023, the International Energy Agency says in its latest forecast.
Three decades later, Chernobyl goes solar
9 Oct 2018
Ukraine has unveiled a solar plant in Chernobyl, just across from where a power station, now encased in a giant sarcophagus, caused the world’s worst nuclear disaster three decades ago.
Wind-solar hybrid means 24-hour energy
8 Oct 2018
A power project in Ohio will take advantage of solar's midday burst of energy and wind's all-day power to provide more consistent clean energy to the grid.
Regional energy leaders to talk transition
2 Oct 2018
Political and energy sector leaders from across Asia and the Pacific will converge in Wellington later this month to talk about the implications on the region’s energy systems of the low-carbon transition.
Property company wins energy-saving award
27 Sep 2018
Installing energy-efficient lighting and heating systems in properties has seen Goodman Property Trust cut greenhouse gas emissions by 775 tonnes.
Wind and rain gives renewables a boost
21 Sep 2018
A wet and windy winter slashed New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation.
Exxon, Chevron join oil and gas climate alliance
21 Sep 2018
ExxonMobil, Chevron and Occidental Petroleum have joined a global group of oil giants aiming to limit their climate impact.
Shell announces methane emissions target
19 Sep 2018
Royal Dutch Shell has announced plans to reduce methane emissions.
Clean energy can provide all electricity, says study
13 Sep 2018
All the electricity the world needs can come from clean energy, reliably and throughout the year and at any time of day or night, UK researchers say.
Why carbon removal is not enough to save climate
12 Sep 2018
Carbon removal from the atmosphere cannot match reducing emissions of greenhouse gases as a way of slowing global warming, US analysts say.
Low-carbon economy worth $26 trillion, says Stern
11 Sep 2018
Making the transition to a low-carbon economy has the potential to unlock $US26 trillion in benefits by 2030, says economist Lord Nicholas Stern.
Green power set to surge while fossil fuels decline
11 Sep 2018
Electricity is set to dominate energy demand by mid-century, doubling to a 45 per cent share, says a new report.
The world is not building enough green power
10 Sep 2018
All across the world, we hear uplifting stories that reflect the fast changes in the energy scene. Yet the Paris climate targets seem in jeopardy and most forecasts say not enough is being done.
Batteries could be made from paper ... and spit
7 Sep 2018
Scientists have found a way to make batteries from paper and spit. But don’t expect the batteries to power your electric vehicle.
Carbon-sucker wins new investment money
31 Aug 2018
A small Swiss company has won $31 million in new investment to suck carbon dioxide from thin air.
Fuel from wood great energy option, say scientists
29 Aug 2018
Bioenergy production using wood from locally grown and sustainably managed forests can provide one of the lowest-carbon energy options for New Zealand, Scion says.
Growth fund should back biofuel, says jet group
27 Aug 2018
The Government’s Provincial Growth Fund should be backing production in New Zealand of biofuel, says one of the players in a biojet consortium.
Z Energy buys chunk of electricity company
27 Aug 2018
Fuel retailer Z Energy is buying 70 per cent of an electricity supplier as part of a shift towards a low-carbon economy.
Scottish tidal project sets new power records
24 Aug 2018
A tidal energy project in Scotland has smashed records for power generation over a 12-month period.
Solar goes super and next stop might be space
22 Aug 2018
Power utilities around the world are supersizing their solar farms and even looking toward taking them into space.
Ten years left to redesign lithium-ion batteries
3 Aug 2018
Research needs to refocus on finding common elements such as iron and silicon as reserves of cobalt and nickel used in electric-vehicle cells dwindle.
Cheap new material could speed battery charging
27 Jul 2018
A newly identified group of materials could accelerate adoption of electric cars and solar energy, as well as helping to recharge your smartphone in minutes.
Clean energy investment passes $138b
12 Jul 2018
Global investment in clean technologies is closely tracking last year and has already hit $138.2 billion, according to new analysis.
Smarter renewables open up new markets
11 Jul 2018
The need to stop global warming in its tracks has spurred the growth of two smarter renewables that are helping to reshape the electricity industry.
GAS GROWTH: The answer lies in feedback loops
10 Jul 2018
Greenhouse gases escaping from wetlands and permafrost could slash the world’s carbon budget by nearly a quarter, scientists say.
Here’s where 3m EV batteries will go when they retire ...
9 Jul 2018
The first batches of batteries from electric and hybrid vehicles are hitting retirement age ... yet they aren’t bound for landfills.
LUNAR LAW: Does Moon hold key to Earth’s energy needs?
6 Jul 2018
Using giant kites, blades and paddles, and mimicking pogo sticks, blowholes and even the human heart, groups around the world are on the cusp of harnessing the colossal power of the oceans.
Meridian predicts carbon price as high as $200
4 Jul 2018
Electricity company Meridian says it sees carbon prices rising as high as $200 a tonne.
Protein’s secret function could boost solar tech
3 Jul 2018
Understanding how certain proteins deal with light absorption can inspire modern solar technology.
New fuel from CO2 could slow climate change
2 Jul 2018
North American scientists might be one step nearer the dream solution to low-carbon energy, new fuel from CO2, if they can suck it straight from the air and convert it directly into gasoline, diesel or jet fuel.
Methane revelations unlikely to affect NZ
28 Jun 2018
Revelations that methane emissions from natural gas production in the United States could be 60 per cent higher than officially acknowledged are unlikely to affect New Zealand, officials say.
Clean energy investment ‘must be 50% higher’
21 Jun 2018
An extra $460 billion a year needs to be invested in the low-carbon economy globally over the next 12 years to limit climate warming to 1.5deg, a new paper says.
Parker to talk hydrogen energy in Japan
11 Jun 2018
Developing a sustainable hydrogen energy industry will be on the agenda for talks between New Zealand and Japan this week.
‘Liquid air’ storage technology comes step closer
11 Jun 2018
A UK company has completed a test plant for its liquid air energy storage technology which it hopes will be a long-duration challenger to lithium-ion storage and will avoid the pitfalls that have stymied similar startups.
Wood fuel benefits beg for attention, say backers
23 May 2018
New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions could be cut by more 640,000 tonnes a year by burning wood instead of coal in boilers in the Otago region alone.
Natural gas will last bit more than a decade
21 May 2018
Officials have confirmed that at the rate we're using it, New Zealand has about 10 and a half years’ worth of natural gas reserves.
Warming planet faces a cooling crisis
17 May 2018
As climate change warms the Earth, one significant concern is the cooling crisis, the quest for energy-hungry artificial ways to keep ourselves cool.
New steel plant will emit only water vapour
15 May 2018
A pilot plant being built in Sweden will produce steel using hydrogen from renewable electricity. The only emissions will be water vapour.
New technology could slash aluminium emissions
14 May 2018
Technology has been unveiled that could drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions from aluminium production, in a development that could transform the way one of the world’s most common materials is made.
Natural gas not the solution, claims new report
10 May 2018
Natural gas is not a transition fuel to a low-carbon economy – and the Government should go further than just banning all new offshore exploration licences, a new report says.
Renewables employing 10 million people
10 May 2018
More than 10 million people are working in the renewable energy industry. In 2017 alone, the sector added more than 500,000 jobs globally.
Small land area, big rewards from solar panels
8 May 2018
Covering 0.06 per cent of New Zealand’s land with solar panels would provide enough power for the country’s total energy needs, a new study says.
War on coal making money for mineowners
3 May 2018
The world’s war on coal is making its biggest producers a lot richer, at least for now.
Waste food could fuel emissions cuts. says report
17 Apr 2018
New Zealand could slice thousands of tonnes off its greenhouse gas emissions by turning industrial food waste into fertiliser and energy, says a new report.
What will we do with all those dead solar panels?
17 Apr 2018
As solar power booms, businesses are exploring ways to ensure valuable components don’t end up in landfills.
Government acts to block offshore exploration
12 Apr 2018
The drive to decarbonise New Zealand’s energy production has taken a step forward with the Government’s announcement that there will be no new offshore oil exploration.
Shell's climate push fails to cut emissions
12 Apr 2018
Royal Dutch Shell is demonstrating how tough it is for a massive, 100-year-old oil company to become a friend to the climate.
Solar and wind could replace fossils within 20 years
10 Apr 2018
Solar photovoltaic and wind power are rapidly getting cheaper and more abundant – so much so that they are on track to entirely supplant fossil fuels worldwide within two decades.
Solar geoengineering ‘still too uncertain’
10 Apr 2018
The world must urgently agree controls on solar geoengineering to weigh up its possible risks and benefits before deciding to go ahead, one expert says.
'Atrocious' and 'bizarre': experts slam Act Party's climate policy
Wed 3 Sep 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Act Party is promising to challenge New Zealand’s Paris Agreement climate target, while the coalition Government’s other minor partner, NZ First, also says it wants to reevaluate the country’s commitment to the international treaty.
International scientists slam NZ govt's proposed approach to methane
13 Aug 2025
New Zealand's proposed approach to methane emissions has again been attacked by international climate scientists, with a new study saying the attempt to redefine climate target-setting by livestock-exporting countries undermines the transition to a sustainable and equitable food system
Marginal drop in last year's regional emissions
27 Aug 2025
Regional greenhouse gas emissions were down slightly last year, with a fall in gas supply leading to a big drop in Taranaki, but more coal burnt leading to higher emissions in Waikato, according to new figures from Stats NZ
Air NZ declares surprisingly low SAF prices
Wed 3 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Air New Zealand is able to source sustainable aviation fuel at between 1.5 and 2.5 times the price of conventional fossil fuels used for flying, all sourced from the US.
Certainty crucial to emissions cuts – Watts
20 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says that policy certainty is the Government’s primary lever for unlocking private capital and meeting climate targets, telling a carbon forestry conference that ETS settings are 'locked' through 2030.
Climate-friendly investment still lagging in NZ
Tue 2 Sep 2025
While local financial firms have made recent strides in climate governance and emissions reporting, New Zealand’s institutional investors are still missing in action when it comes to backing clean technologies and climate solutions, according to a new report.
