Topics tagged with 'Energy'
NIWA offers hope for hydro
11 Mar 2025
Niwa has offered a glimmer of hope that the current extreme dry spell could be broken this autumn.
EU carbon market on course for highest CO2 price in the world by 2030: report
11 Mar 2025
Media release | LONDON: Europe's new Emissions Trading System is expected to have the world's highest carbon price in 2030 at 149EU, BloombergNEF forecast reveals.
Demand reduction deal as hydro lakes drop
10 Mar 2025
The electricity sector's preparations for a potential energy shortage this winter have continued with Meridian and Tiwai Point aluminium smelter agreeing for it to reduce demand.
Meridian's shocker result and way forward
7 Mar 2025
Meridian's was expected to be a shocker of a result and, as predicted, earnings, cash flow and net profit were all down for what was its worst ever half year report since listing.
Changes to electricity market rules could boost renewables
28 Feb 2025
By Shannon Williams | Lodestone Energy says that new regulations proposed for the energy market will improve grid efficiency, enable more solar and battery deployment, and deliver lower prices for consumers.
Gentailers take stock after winter energy crunch
25 Feb 2025
The half-year reporting season showed the different impacts of the difficult winter in 2024, with Contact and Genesis being the first to release results.
Carbon capture framework coming
24 Feb 2025
The government wants to bring carbon capture and storage into the Emissions Trading Scheme, with plans to introduce legislation for a Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage framework this year.
Renewable energy is a less costly, more efficient climate solution than carbon capture, study finds
24 Feb 2025
The benefits of investing in clean energy, including solar, wind, geothermal and hydropower, make renewables a more cost-effective option compared to carbon capture technology, according to a new study.
Genesis stocks up on coal
18 Feb 2025
Genesis Energy is prepared to burn up to 1.2 million tonnes of coal at Huntly Power Station this winter.
Watts waves the regulatory stick at gentailers
18 Feb 2025
Energy Minister Simon Watts said the Government would not accept another repeat of last winter's events in the electricity market but stopped short of saying what ministers would do if it did happen again.
China's 2024 coal projects counter climate goals: report
14 Feb 2025
China last year began construction on projects with the greatest combined coal power capacity since 2015, jeopardising the country's goal to peak carbon emissions by 2030, according to a report published Thursday.
Genesis and Foresta in biomass supply negotiation
12 Feb 2025
Media release | Genesis Energy Limited (GENESIS) and Foresta (NZ) Limited (FORESTA) have signed a term sheet to advance negotiations on the supply of torrefied black wood pellets for electricity generation at Huntly Power Station.
NZ needs $20b to meet 2050 energy needs
7 Feb 2025
New Zealand will need a minimum of $20 billion to meet the country's energy needs in 2050, according to new research.
FMA should expose 'greenwashing' investment funds - Coates
3 Feb 2025
If the Financial Markets Authority is serious about tackling greenwash, they should call out KiwiSaver and investment funds that claim to be ethical while investing in the worst fossil fuel companies, says Mindful Money's Barry Coates.
Adding coal to 'critical' minerals list makes NZ a global outlier
3 Feb 2025
The government's addition of coal to its list of 'critical' minerals goes against its own scientists' advice, and puts New Zealand out of step with trading partners, such as Australia.
Work begins on NZ's biggest solar farm
3 Feb 2025
Construction is set to begin on New Zealand's biggest solar farm, the Tauhei Solar Farm project, in the Waikato.
Mining strategy resurrecting 'same terrible idea' - Greens
31 Jan 2025
Resources Minister Shane Jones' new minerals strategy and critical minerals list have been met with criticism, with opponents questioning the long-term implications for both the economy and the environment.
Lodestone Energy's third and largest solar farm powers up
30 Jan 2025
Media release | Lodestone Energy, Aotearoa's leader in utility-scale solar generation development, has reached another significant milestone with its third and largest solar farm to date, Te Herenga o Te Rā, starting generation.
Offshore energy bill gets almost full support
28 Jan 2025
The Offshore Renewable Energy Bill received general support in Parliament when it received its first reading late last year.
Developers abandon applications to build wind farm off Australia's South West coast
28 Jan 2025
Two of the earliest proponents of an offshore wind farm in WA's South West are among several developers who are no longer applying to work on the project.
China to launch one-kilometre-wide solar farm into space
27 Jan 2025
Construction of a giant celestial solar farm is underway in China, with a scale comparable to creating a "Three Gorges Dam project above the Earth".
Science reforms could further erode climate expertise
24 Jan 2025
Foresters have welcomed the government’s sweeping science reforms, but leading climate scientist James Renwick fears a further erosion of expertise from the research sector.
EU’s solar and wind growth pushes fossil-fuel power to lowest level in 40 years
24 Jan 2025
Over the past decade, coal power use in the European Union (EU) has fallen by 61%, according to new figures from energy analysts Ember.
Simon Watts named energy minister
23 Jan 2025
Climate change minister Simon Watts has also been named energy minister in Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s cabinet reshuffle.
Waitangi Tribunal kicks off inquiry into climate change policy
20 Dec 2024
By Liz Kivi | The Crown has contributed to worsening the climate crisis as well as exacerbating impacts on Māori communities, a Waitangi Tribunal panel heard this week.
'A death sentence for our islands' - Pacific leaders respond to Australia approving new coal mines
20 Dec 2024
Media release | Despite making multiple international commitments to “transition away from fossil fuels” under both the UN General Assembly and the UN Climate Talks, the Australian government approved three new coal mines earlier today at Boggabri, Caval Ridge and Lake Vermont Meadowbrook.
Hydrogen plan won’t reduce emissions: expert
16 Dec 2024
The government is using its new hydrogen action plan as an opportunity to weaken regulations that are “inconvenient” to the fossil fuel industry, according to an energy transition expert.
Government unveils new powers to approve onshore wind farms
16 Dec 2024
The government has unveiled plans to give ministers the final say on approving large onshore wind farms rather than leaving decisions to local councils, where opposition has often been fierce.
Govt's choice of climate leadership criticised as ‘Trumpian’
13 Dec 2024
New climate-related appointments have been met with a mixed reaction from policy experts, with one predicting the appointments signal the government will eventually disestablish the Climate Change Commission.
Low hydro lake levels require continued reliance on coal and gas for electricity
13 Dec 2024
Media release | The latest Energy Quarterly release from the Ministry of Business Innovation & Employment (MBIE) shows the difference weather conditions can make to energy generation in New Zealand.
Second emissions reduction plan still off-track
11 Dec 2024
The government has released its final emissions reduction plan for 2026-30, copping criticism for relying on unproven technology such as carbon capture and storage, as well as failing to meet crucial climate targets.
New Zealand left behind as Australia invests a further $A500 million in energy efficiency
11 Dec 2024
Media release | New Zealand investment in energy efficiency has fallen further behind Australia after the Albanese government doubled funding for energy efficiency retrofits of social housing.
Fossil fuel lobbyist appointed to EECA board
10 Dec 2024
The Green Party has slammed the government’s appointment of a fossil fuel lobbyist to the Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority Board.
Carbon price dips as dust settles after auction
10 Dec 2024
The carbon price has taken a dive since last week’s auction, down more than 6% on last week’s auction price.
Scientists find huge trove of rare metals needed for clean energy hidden inside toxic coal waste
10 Dec 2024
Millions of tons of coal ash left over from burning the planet’s dirtiest fossil fuel are sitting in ponds and landfills, able to leach into waterways and pollute soil. But this toxic waste may also be a treasure trove for the rare earth elements needed to propel the world toward clean energy.
Green Party releases alternative climate plan
9 Dec 2024
The Green Party wants to take forestry out of the Emissions Trading Scheme and instead create biodiversity credits for afforestation.
New Zealand Green Investment Finance shares Ministers' concerns with SolarZero liquidation
6 Dec 2024
Yesterday representatives of New Zealand Green Investment Finance (NZGIF) met with its Shareholding Ministers to discuss matters relating to the voluntary liquidation of SolarZero.
Hamilton off-track to reduce emissions
5 Dec 2024
Hamilton City Council is making progress against its 2030 climate targets but Hamilton’s city-wide emissions increased by 6%.
Labour slams National Party’s lack of action on climate
28 Nov 2024
Labour leader Chris Hipkins has attacked the National Party’s recent performance on climate, saying National has given up on climate action.
Green’s EV fringe-benefit tax bill voted down
28 Nov 2024
Green MP Julie-Anne Genter had hoped National might consider backing her EV fringe-benefit tax bill because it was once a policy in the party’s 2020 manifesto, but those hopes were dashed.
SolarZero in liquidation
27 Nov 2024
Innovative solar energy pioneer SolarZero has been put into liquidation.
Crown Minerals Bill progresses
26 Nov 2024
The Crown Minerals Amendment Bill is set to pass into law in the last parliamentary session of the year beginning December 10.
Energy market settings holding back demand response
25 Nov 2024
A study of large energy users has concluded that changes to the electricity market are needed to make demand response management viable.
Complex Article 6 rules pave way to unruly carbon markets
25 Nov 2024
Media release | Despite the best efforts of activists and some climate negotiators, the agreement reached on Article 6 carbon markets at COP29 in Baku risks facilitating cowboy carbon markets at a time when the world needs a sheriff.
New govt to blame for drop in climate rankings
22 Nov 2024
New Zealand has fallen seven places to rank 41st in this year’s Climate Change Performance Index, with experts saying the country has taken significant backwards steps in climate policy since the new National-Act-NZ First coalition government came into power.
Contact Energy to build a new geothermal plant at Wairakei
21 Nov 2024
Contact Energy has announced a significant investment in the redevelopment of its Wairakei geothermal power station.
Why (and how) I’m taking the two tonne challenge
15 Nov 2024
OPINION: By Emily Mabin Sutton | To meet our “fair share” of international climate targets, every person on Earth needs to emit less than 2.5 tonnes of carbon each year by 2030. But what does this look like in reality in New Zealand?
Govt ring-fences $60 million to investigate new geothermal energy
14 Nov 2024
The government is putting aside $60 million to investigate new geothermal energy generation technology, which has the potential to boost renewable energy output and slash emissions.
The world’s best hope to beat climate change is vanishing
13 Nov 2024
To have a chance against global warming, key economies and industries need to hit crucial emissions targets by 2030. They’re far off track.
Legislation to bring back oil and gas exploration advances
12 Nov 2024
The controversial bill to restart oil and gas exploration completed its second reading in Parliament last week after being reported back from select committee.
Ticking time-bomb in Govt’s failure of leadership on climate – Carr
Tue 9 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | The coalition Government’s failure to slash emissions is like pulling the pin on a grenade, handing it to a kid, and saying “hold on tight, she’ll be right”, says former Climate Change Commission chair Rod Carr.
Govt rushes to pass climate law changes under urgency
Today 12:15pm
By Liz Kivi | Legislation to amend the Climate Change Response Act was introduced to Parliament on Monday, and the government intends to rush the changes through under urgency in the next two weeks, avoiding the usual public consultation.
NZ’s government wants tourism to drive economic growth – but how will it deal with aviation emissions?
22 Oct 2025
By Robert McLachlan, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University | Following a brief dip during the COVID pandemic, aviation is back in a growth phase.
Air NZ inks deal for its first internationally verified carbon credits
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.
Second fire tears through Tongariro National Park
Tue 9 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Fire crews have returned to Tongariro National Park this morning as a fast-moving fire that started yesterday threatens unburnt vegetation and nearby communities, just a month after a major blaze scorched 3000 hectares in the same area.
Govt launches strategy backing wood-based heat sector
23 Oct 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Forestry biomass could replace as much as 40% of fossil fuel-generated process heat by 2050, but access to supply, regulatory settings and business cases for converting to wood-based heat sources are required, the Government says in a series of documents released yesterday.
Carbon News publishes ten-year NZU forward curve
Today 12:15pm
Carbon News has published a new ten-year NZU forward curve mapping how carbon prices could evolve through to 2035 under a range of policy and market conditions.
2025 ‘virtually certain’ to be second- or third-hottest year on record, EU data shows
Today 12:15pm
Copernicus deputy director says three-year average for 2023 to 2025 on track to exceed 1.5C of heating for first time.
Carbon auction tipped to be a non-event
2 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | Tomorrow’s Emissions Trading Scheme auction is all but certain to fail, with participants blaming the government for destroying confidence as NZUs continue to change hands on the secondary market at a 40% discount on the $68 auction floor.
KiwiRail pauses coal trains amid rising climate protests
Tue 9 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Climate activists are ramping up actions this week, with a Christchurch protest leading to KiwiRail pausing some coal train operations on Saturday, and another protest against the Fast-Track Amendment Bill planned for parliament today.
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.
$235 billion worth of NZ buildings exposed to flooding
30 Oct 2025
More than 750,000 New Zealanders live in locations exposed to one-in-100-year floods, according to a nationwide study which shows escalating flood risk.
Al Gore's case for optimism
Mon 8 Dec 2025
This year’s United Nations climate summit in Belém, Brazil had everything: A literal flood, a literal fire, a record-breaking 1,600+ fossil fuel lobbyists, and delegates from oil-producing nations working overtime.
DOC trims costs and winds down jobs for nature
10 Nov 2025
The Department of Conservation (DOC) is entering a new phase of tighter budgets and structural change as it winds down the pandemic-era Jobs for Nature programme and reshapes its operations to absorb long-term cost pressures.
NZ just had its hottest spring in at least 116 years
Today 12:15pm
By Shannon Morris-Williams | This year New Zealand had its hottest spring since records began, with widespread heat, rainfall extremes and destructive wind driven by sudden stratospheric warming.
Transport dominates NZ’s rising consumer emissions
Today 12:15pm
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.
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.
Media round-up
Fri 5 Dec 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Labour’s chronic evasiveness as the Government reneges on climate change; newly released documents reveal the country's new methane target is associated with 'perilous' 2.7C of warming; and New Zealand's 'pitiful' decision on emissions targets comes with costs.
RMA to speed up fossil fuel consents
18 Aug 2025
By Liz Kivi | An energy lobby group has welcomed a last-minute amendment to the RMA that puts fossil fuels on the same footing as renewables, however a sustainable energy expert says the move “beggars belief.”
Analysis: Why COP30’s ‘tripling adaptation finance’ target is less ambitious than it seems
Fri 5 Dec 2025
One of the headline outcomes to emerge from COP30 was a new target to “at least triple” finance for climate adaptation in developing countries by 2035.
Govt ‘scaremongering’ over co-operation – former climate ambassador
Fri 5 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand’s former top climate diplomat, Kay Harrison, says the Government’s recent comments ruling out buying climate mitigation offshore amount to scaremongering, and the country is missing a chance to give our businesses a boost.
TotalEnergies loses in Paris court, marking a turning point for fossil fuel truth-in-advertising
5 Nov 2025
TotalEnergies was found to have misled consumers about its role in the energy transition.
Tribunal warns govt geothermal strategy risks Treaty breach
2 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The government's geothermal development strategy risks breaching the Treaty of Waitangi, according to a report from the Waitangi Tribunal released last week.
Hiringa eyes green methanol plant near Whanganui
29 Jul 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Green hydrogen pioneer Hiringa Energy is deep in planning to develop an “eight-to-nine figure” methanol plant near Whanganui, using a combination of biomass and hydrogen produced using renewable energy.
Insurers welcome govt decision to keep NHC levy unchanged
21 Nov 2025
Media release |The Insurance Council of New Zealand | Te Kāhui Inihua o Aotearoa (ICNZ) has welcomed the Government’s decision to leave the Natural Hazards Commission levy unchanged, amid ongoing concerns around the cost-of-living.
Why I’m not outraged at the Govt’s latest climate backsliding
7 Nov 2025
COMMENT: The Government’s latest climate rollbacks underline New Zealand’s long history of a lack of genuine desire to cut emissions, writes Geoff Bertram.
NZ’s rejection of emission targets fuels risk of international law breach
Mon 8 Dec 2025
By Karen Scott, Professor in Law, University of Canterbury | The New Zealand government’s decision this week to reject all of the Climate Change Commission’s emission target recommendations was just the latest in a string of policy statements that weaken the country’s action on climate.
NZ fails to back ‘roadmap’ to phase out fossil fuels at COP
24 Nov 2025
By Liz Kivi | Eighty-six countries including Australia, the UK, Germany, and Ireland backed a proposal at COP30 for national plans on how to quit oil, gas and coal – but New Zealand wasn’t one of them.
Hello, foreign oligarchs and corporations! Please come and sue the UK for billions
3 Dec 2025
COMMENT: The case of a planned Cumbrian coalmine shows how governments around the world are being threatened by litigation in shadowy offshore courts.
NZ's latest climate target 'weak' – Climate Action Tracker
24 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand's new international climate target to 2035 is weak, and could even allow for higher emissions than the 2030 target, according to a global scientific project that tracks government climate action.
Storms in the Southern Ocean are producing more rain – and the consequences could be global
Mon 8 Dec 2025
Storms in the Southern Ocean influence weather patterns across Australia, New Zealand and the globe.
Heatwaves, downpours and droughts – Auckland on track for more extreme weather
1 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New projections show Auckland will face more heatwaves, heavier downpours, worsening droughts and growing coastal threats as climate extremes intensify, according to a new report from Earth Sciences New Zealand.
Govt green lights rural recycling scheme
Thu 4 Dec 2025
The Government has approved new regulations to bring rural waste schemes under one unified framework.
RMA replacement bills introduced – fixes are needed
Today 12:15pm
Media release: Environmental Defence Society | In a massive shakeup of our core environmental and planning laws, the Government has introduced legislation to Parliament to replace the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA).
Shipping movements disrupted as climate change protesters block coal ships
2 Dec 2025
NSW police have arrested 141 people who attempted to block the shipping channel in Newcastle Harbour during Rising Tide protests, which began on Thursday.
Straterra has a new name: the New Zealand Minerals Council
16 Apr 2025
Media release | Straterra has been renamed as New Zealand Minerals Council, says chief executive Josie Vidal.
Rare win for renewable energy: Trump administration funds geothermal network expansion
Fri 5 Dec 2025
A first-in-the-nation heating and cooling network in Massachusetts is set to double in size.
Comparing climate models with observations
Today 12:15pm
The latest generation of climate models shows too much long-term warming but better reproduces recent trends.
Solar households to get little-noticed tax break
23 Sep 2025
A provision in the government’s latest tax bill would exempt households from paying tax on income they earn by selling excess electricity back to the grid.
More than $2m up for grabs for low-emissions farming innovation
Today 12:15pm
The Ag Emissions Centre and AgriZeroNZ yesterday opened their 2026 innovation investment round.
Last minute change to oil and gas legislation over cleanup costs
31 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government is expected to repeal the oil and gas ban today, with a last-minute amendment handing discretionary power to two ministers over the controversial issue of decommissioning.
Seven EU countries pressure European Commission to rethink 2035 diesel and petrol car ban
Tue 9 Dec 2025
Pressure from EU countries, lawmakers and the automotive industry is likely pushing the European Commission to delay the revision of the bloc's ban on diesel and petrol cars by 2035.
Kaicycle celebrates ten years of collective climate action in Pōneke
14 Nov 2025
Media release: Kaicycle | Since 2015, Kaicycle has grown from a humble pilot project growing kai and collecting compost on bicycles into the thriving urban farm and composting hub that Wellingtonians know and love.
Study provides a step-change in understanding NZ’s groundwater
28 Nov 2025
Media release | Earth Sciences New Zealand has developed a world-first National Groundwater Age Map and a powerful suite of tools to support the sustainable management of our hidden groundwater resources, from national through to local scales.
Wildfires destroy 40 homes and kill a firefighter in Australia
Tue 9 Dec 2025
There were 52 wildfires burning across New South Wales on Monday and nine remained out of control. A total of 20 homes had destroyed over the weekend in that state.
NZ’s energy system at a crossroads – report
21 Nov 2025
A new report says New Zealand’s rapid shift toward a 95% renewable electricity system is at a critical turning point, urging faster consenting, stronger firming solutions and better grid planning.
