Topics tagged with 'Renewable energy'

A modest geothermal strategy
Thu 31 Jul 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The Government has unveiled a far more modest geothermal energy strategy than its primary backer, Resources Minister Shane Jones, had sought.

Fund for low emissions transport winds up
Thu 31 Jul 2025
New Zealand’s Low Emission Transport Fund has officially wrapped up, ending a nine-year programme that put hundreds of millions of dollars towards accelerating the country’s shift to cleaner transport.

Tilting at windmills? Trump’s claims about turbines fact-checked
Thu 31 Jul 2025
The US president has taken a swipe at wind power as the blades visible from his Turnberry golf course turn.

EV sales fall, but it’s complicated
Tue 29 Jul 2025
Imports of fully electric vehicles fell over 50% in value during the 12 months to June 2025, compared with the year ended June 2024, according to Stats NZ.

All aboard for passenger rail in the golden triangle
Mon 28 Jul 2025
Media release – The Future Is Rail | New Zealand’s national passenger rail advocacy group, The Future is Rail, has announced its strong support for the Green Party’s proposal to establish a new passenger rail service connecting Auckland and Tauranga.

China's carbon emissions may have peaked thanks to renewables push
Mon 28 Jul 2025
Climate experts say China's carbon emissions may have peaked, which could affect global climate targets, the fight against global warming – and the Australian coal industry.

$22B in US clean energy projects canceled so far this year
Mon 28 Jul 2025
Thousands of jobs and billions in investments have been ditched in the first half of this year as President Trump’s administration has pushed back on new green energy investments, according to a new report.

Switching to renewables is ‘smart economics’ - Guterres
24 Jul 2025
The global energy transition is now “unstoppable” due to “smart economics”, UN secretary-general António Guterres has said in an online speech titled: “A moment of opportunity.”

Is extending Huntly power station to 2035 in consumers’ best interest?
22 Jul 2025
By Simon Orme | COMMENT: Genesis Energy is proposing a cartel to keep high-emitting Huntly Power Station in business to 2035. If extending Huntly has economic benefits, is a cartel necessary?

Local govt bill 'completely misses the point,' passes first reading
18 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The government’s bill making changes to the Local Government Act to "refocus" councils on their core functions passed its first reading in Parliament last night, with critics saying it will set back climate resilience.

Germany's wind power expansion picks up, but targets still missed, says lobby
18 Jul 2025
Germany's onshore wind power sector recorded its strongest half-year since 2017, but the expansion still falls short of the legally mandated targets, the BWE wind power lobby said on Tuesday.

Sanctions and climate action crossroads: India must embrace energy sovereignty with justice at its heart
17 Jul 2025
COMMENT: By expanding renewables, India not only reduces emissions but also insulates itself from future geopolitical shocks.

More choices for how we use, buy and sell electricity – and lower our power bills
16 Jul 2025
Media release – Electricity Authority | New Zealanders will have more choices for how they use, buy and sell electricity – so they can lower their power bills – because of new market rules confirmed today by the Electricity Authority Te Mana Hiko (the Authority).

Feedback sought on national fuel security plan
16 Jul 2025
Media release - Beehive: The Coalition Government is seeking feedback on a draft Fuel Security Plan that provides a long-term strategy to ensure New Zealanders have reliable access to fuel in times of domestic and global disruption, Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones says.

Have renewables decreased electricity prices?
16 Jul 2025
There is a persistent argument in certain circles that renewable energy is associated with higher costs than fossil fuels.

North Canterbury locals get say over huge solar farm
10 Jul 2025
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter | North Canterbury residents are being encouraged to have their say on a proposed 180 hectare solar farm on a property near their village.

Clean energy's political test looms now that Trump bill is law
10 Jul 2025
The US 2026 midterms will test clean energy's uncertain political salience as advocates attempt to tether it to economic matters that voters prioritise.

Climate backtracking could impact trade relationships: Labour
9 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | Labour Party Energy spokesperson Megan Woods says the government needs to be upfront about how its energy policies will impact trade relationships, following revelations New Zealand was warned by other governments that backtracking on climate policies jeopardised its membership of an international alliance.

In Latin America, the energy transition stirs a rise in human rights lawsuits
8 Jul 2025
A new report shows that more than half of the 95 energy transition-related lawsuits recorded globally since 2009 took place in Latin America and the Caribbean.

China solar and wind installations break more world records
7 Jul 2025
China is leading the world in new solar and wind installations and doing so at a record-shattering pace.

Offshore renewable energy bill reported back
3 Jul 2025
The Offshore Renewable Energy Bill has been reported back from select committee with a few changes and the prospect of further amendment on some issues.

Clean energy stocks jump after tax on solar and wind projects is removed from Trump’s big bill
3 Jul 2025
Shares of renewable energy companies are rising after a tax on solar and wind was removed from the Senate version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

How solar panels and batteries can now run close to 24/365 in some cities
24 Jun 2025
A few years ago, solar power became the “cheapest electricity in history”, but it still lacked the ability to meet demand 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.

Senate committee's changes to tax bill slam US solar stocks
18 Jun 2025
Shares of U.S. solar energy companies tumbled in extended trade on Monday after Republicans who control the U.S. Senate Finance Committee unveiled changes to President Donald Trump's sweeping tax-cut and spending bill that would phase out solar, wind and energy tax credits by 2028.

How flying can be a climate solution
16 Jun 2025
By Paul Callister and Robert McLachlan - Planetary Ecology | How can aviation contribute to tackling climate change when no practicable technology-based solutions are on the horizon?

Could Queenstown become the world’s most electric city?
11 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Queenstown is set to become the focus of an ambitious initiative aiming to transform it into the world’s most electrified destination.

ASB launches interest-free loans for solar installations
11 Jun 2025
ASB Bank is providing farmers with interest-free loans of up to $150,000 over five years to support the installation of solar panels and battery systems on their farms.

Lodestone Energy expands solar footprint into the South Island
10 Jun 2025
Media release | New Zealand solar energy company, Lodestone Energy, continues to expand its footprint with its first South Island solar project in Clandeboye, Canterbury.

Global energy investment set to hit record $3.3 trillion in 2025, IEA says
6 Jun 2025
A surge in clean energy spending is expected to drive a record $3.3 trillion in global energy investment in 2025, despite economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions, the International Energy Agency said on Thursday.

UK’s solar power surges 42% after sunniest spring on record
6 Jun 2025
The UK’s solar farms and rooftops generated more electricity than ever before in the first five months of 2025, as the country enjoyed its sunniest spring on record.

Climate progress slowing, says Auckland councillor
5 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The devastating cyclone that tore through Tāmaki Makaurau in 2023 left behind more than just broken infrastructure, sparking calls to focus on facts over ideology in the fight against climate change.

US: Clean energy project cancellations top $14 Billion so far in 2025
4 Jun 2025
Businesses have pulled the plug on big projects amid Trump’s retreat on climate action. But plenty remain in the pipeline, awaiting a Congressional decision on tax credits.

India, a major user of coal power, is making large gains in clean energy adoption
4 Jun 2025
One of the most carbon-polluting countries, India is also making huge efforts to harness the power of the sun, wind and other clean energy sources.

Watts talks big on energy reform, but barriers persist
29 May 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Energy and Climate Change minister Simon Watts says the government is doubling down on efforts to boost renewable energy generation, streamline regulation, and drive private sector investment as New Zealand faces mounting energy security and affordability challenges.

For the first time, China invests more in wind and solar than coal overseas
29 May 2025
China’s Belt and Road Initiative, long derided for its heavy carbon footprint, was dominated by wind and solar power projects for the first time from 2022 to 2023, according to a new analysis. But coal plants financed in earlier years are still coming online.

While govt ‘refreshes’ fund for low carbon trucks, are transport emissions set to accelerate?
28 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has announced it is updating the Low Emissions Heavy Vehicle Fund, however cuts to funds to decarbonise transport in last week’s budget, and potential changes to road user charges, could stall transport emissions reductions.

Electrification challenge for politicians, regulators
27 May 2025
Rewiring Aotearoa is calling for stronger political leadership to bring its vision of a cheaper, cleaner and stronger energy system to life, with the launch of its policy manifesto today.

‘More needs be done’ to restore energy market confidence: Energy Council
27 May 2025
The Business NZ Energy Council (BEC) welcomed the Government’s gas announcement as signalling “willingness to deal with parts of the issue from an energy supply perspective and aims to rebuild confidence in the sector”.

Govt budgets $200m for would-be gas investors
23 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | Energy Resources Aotearoa has welcomed the government's plan to co-invest $200 million in fossil gas expansion, while environmental and climate groups have reacted with horror.

NZ moving too slowly to decarbonise – former commission chair
22 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand's energy transition is too slow and too controlled by vested interests, according to former Climate Change Commission chair Rod Carr.

Flick flicked on
20 May 2025
There is a certain irony that one of the most vocal and public critics of the gentailers and the electricity market – Flick Electric – has been taken over by the largest gentailer – Meridian Energy.

Nature is not an economic handbrake: Environmental Defence Society
16 May 2025
Nature is not a handbrake on economic growth – the two must go hand in hand, attendees heard on the final day of the Environmental Defence Society’s Dollars and Sense conference this week.

Clean energy just put China’s CO2 emissions into reverse for first time
16 May 2025
For the first time, the growth in China’s clean power generation has caused the nation’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to fall despite rapid power demand growth.

What is life like in the shadow of solar farms?
15 May 2025
Plans to turn land being used for the production of food into farms harvesting the power of the sun often see campaigns fought through the planning process.

Greens promise to rapidly reduce emissions in new Green Budget
14 May 2025
By Shannon Williams | The Green Party has unveiled its alternative Green Budget, promising bold investments to tackle the climate crisis and deliver cleaner air, water, and soil.

Methanex closure comes early this year
14 May 2025
The almost-now-annual closure of Methanex has come earlier this year, giving more confidence that the electricity system will get through the winter without a fuel shortfall.

Ampol exits retail electricity, Meridian takes on customers
14 May 2025
Media release | Meridian Energy Limited (Meridian) has entered into an agreement with Z Energy (100% owned by Ampol Limited (Ampol) (that will see Flick and Z Energy customer contracts and the related hedge book move to Meridian.

Coal India to set up $3 billion worth clean energy projects to boost renewable heft
14 May 2025
The world’s largest government-owned coal producer will set up clean energy projects of around 4.5 gigawatts at a cost of 250 billion rupees (about $3 billion), it said on Thursday, as it aims to achieve net zero carbon emissions from its operations.

States sue the Trump administration for blocking funds for electric vehicle charging
9 May 2025
Seventeen states are suing President Donald Trump ‘s administration for withholding billions of dollars for building more electric vehicle chargers.

Govt pledges to slash building emissions
8 May 2025
The government is signing up to an international agreement aimed at decarbonising the building and construction sector in line with limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees.