Diesel crunch exposes fuel vulnerability
Today 11:15am
By Shannon Morris-Williams
Rising diesel prices and tightening supply are exposing New Zealand’s heavy reliance on fossil fuels, with experts warning the squeeze on farming and forestry is likely to ripple through the economy while strengthening the case for lower-emissions energy alternatives.
Story copyright © Carbon News 2026
Marlborough’s Rānui Solar Farm enters final testing
Thu 16 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Marlborough's biggest solar farm has entered its final testing phase and is now generating up to 9.9MW of electricity, marking a key milestone for a project expected to boost regional energy security.
Pūkaki consent battle becomes proxy for system risk
Tue 14 Apr 2026
The fight over Lake Pūkaki is no longer just about a consent change. It has become a proxy for how much New Zealand is willing to pay for electricity system resilience – and how that price should be set.
Global uncertainty driving solar surge
13 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Global instability and rising energy costs are pushing more New Zealanders towards solar, with companies reporting a surge in enquiries as households look for greater control and resilience in an increasingly uncertain energy landscape.
New alliance wants renewable-led energy – and Govt to press pause on LNG
9 Apr 2026
A newly formed coalition of business, consumer and energy organisations has unveiled a renewable-led strategy it says will strengthen the country’s energy security, and it’s calling on the Government to pause its plan for an LNG import terminal.
Genesis fires up pellet study with Nature’s Flame
8 Apr 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Genesis Energy is extending its quest for locally produced torrefied wood pellets to supplement coal and gas to fuel its Huntly power station, announcing it is investigating plant construction with established local solid fuels player Nature’s Flame.
EA entrenches 10kW export limit for residential solar
8 Apr 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The Electricity Authority intends to require all electricity networks to offer at least a 10 kilowatt (kW) export capacity for residential rooftop and other small-scale distributed generation.
Renewable build-out runs into grid and firming limits
8 Apr 2026
New Zealand's electricity market entered 2026 with renewable generation at record levels and a substantial build pipeline finally moving from paper to construction. The harder question is whether the wider system can absorb and firm that capacity fast enough.
Watts’s last stand: Simeon Brown takes energy portfolio
2 Apr 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Energy Minister Simon Watts has lost the portfolio to Cabinet fixer Simeon Brown in a reshuffle announced by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon this morning.
Labour mulls GIDI 2.0 as factory closures mount
1 Apr 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Factory closures across the country could have been prevented if the last Labour-led government’s GIDI fund to assist companies with the cost of electrification hadn't been scrapped, Labour energy spokesperson, Megan Woods, says.
