Today's power plants already lock in 1.5deg

3 Jul 2019

Two boys look at a smartphone in front of their house next to a coal-fired power plant near Beijing. A power plant construction spree in China has put the average age of power plants there at about 11 years, locking in planet-warming emissions for generations.

 

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.

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$3m Govt boost for Tauranga geothermal energy

Tue 14 Jul 2026

By Liz Kivi | Resources Minister Shane Jones has announced a $3 million grant for the Gas to Geoheat Tauranga Geothermal System Project as part of the Government's plan to double geothermal energy by 2040.

Clutha River downstream from Roxburgh hydro dam

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Large batteries and more strategic use of hydro generation are starting to flatten winter electricity price peaks, reducing reliance on expensive thermal generation.

The Collie Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Western Australia

NZ lagging in energy storage investment – report

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Mark Humphreys, chief revenue officer APAC at Gentrack

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Govt backs hydrogen with national industry summit

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By Oli Lewis | The Government is convening a major hydrogen conference to promote awareness and uptake of the alternative fuel.

Pūkaki consent puts dry-year rules in spotlight

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Faster consenting is starting to produce results, but this week's decisions show speed has not removed the harder trade-offs around electricity security, conservation, ecology and climate liability.

Contact: Protected geothermal fields must be opened to meet 2040 goal

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By Oli Lewis | A goal to double geothermal energy generation by 2040 using existing technologies is unachievable unless some protected fields are reclassified for development, Contact Energy says.

Fast-track panel backs proposed Haldon Solar Farm

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By Shannon Morris-Williams | The proposed Haldon Solar Farm in the Mackenzie Basin has moved to the final stages of the Fast-track Approvals Act process after the Fast-track Panel proposed granting approval for the project.