Topics tagged with 'Renewable energy'
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.
NZ could ditch 8 million fossil fuel machines right now to slash emissions
7 May 2025
The majority of the country’s ten million fossil fuel machines could be replaced cost-effectively with electric equivalents right now, new research from Rewiring Aotearoa has revealed.
What caused the blackout in Spain and Portugal and did renewable energy play a part?
2 May 2025
The countries boast high levels of wind and solar on their grids, leading to speculation about the robustness of the technology.
EECA and Centre for Sustainable Finance partner to unlock private capital for clean energy
1 May 2025
Media release | The Centre for Sustainable Finance: Toitū Tahua (CSF) and EECA (Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) have, today, announced a strategic partnership to accelerate private investment in New Zealand’s energy transition. This collaboration aims to address barriers to financing renewable energy projects and energy efficiency projects.
MEUG welcomes the launch of the Energy Transition Framework
30 Apr 2025
Media release | The Framework brings together generation, retail, the local lines companies and national grid operator Transpower to navigate toward a low-carbon electrified future.
China says wind and solar electricity capacity exceeds thermal for first time
29 Apr 2025
China's wind and solar energy capacity has surpassed that of mostly coal-powered thermal for the first time, the national energy body said Friday.
Govt announces plan for EV chargers
28 Apr 2025
The government has opted for a model based on the ultra-fast broadband rollout to boost electric vehicle charger numbers.
At energy security talks, US pushes gas and derides renewables
28 Apr 2025
The US envoy to the IEA’s energy security summit criticised renewables, arguing that they cause power cuts and increase reliance on China.
Trump officials pressure world’s top energy agency to drop climate mission
28 Apr 2025
Trump administration officials are attempting to block the world’s most important energy research agency from producing data that the U.S. government argues favours renewable power over fossil fuels.
Lodestone Energy completes equity raise
24 Apr 2025
Media release | Lodestone Energy, New Zealand’s leading solar energy company, has recently completed a successful capital raise for an additional $50 million, adding to the $50 million development fund it raised in 2024.
Winter’s tale of electricity market woes
17 Apr 2025
A study of last winter’s events in the electricity market has confirmed that the major players suffered from high prices, and there was little or no indication of them gaming the market with their wholesale pricing.
NZ provides $10 million boost to Vanuatu's renewable energy efforts
17 Apr 2025
New Zealand is boosting support to Vanuatu to recover from last year’s earthquake and develop its renewable energy sector to the tune of NZ$10 million.
NZ's emissions fell 2% in 2023 - latest GHG inventory
15 Apr 2025
Aotearoa New Zealand’s gross greenhouse gas emissions reduced by 2% in 2023, according to the latest greenhouse gas inventory.
Environmental summit to tackle costs of economic reform
14 Apr 2025
As the government pushes ahead with sweeping reforms to unlock economic growth, the upcoming Environmental Defence Society annual summit will ask a critical question: at what cost?
Global EV adoption fails to cut CO2
11 Apr 2025
There's little point in buying an electric vehicle if you're charging it with electricity generated by fossil fuels. In fact, when it comes to carbon dioxide emissions, your EV may be doing more harm than good.
Experts slam govt decision to wind down green investment bank
9 Apr 2025
The government’s move to scrap its green investment bank is a step backwards for emissions reductions and doesn’t stack up with the National Party’s economic and energy transition strategies, according to sustainable finance experts.
Can the future of energy be affordable, secure and sustainable?
9 Apr 2025
Media release | Global experts are coming together to address the challenge of creating energy solutions that are both sustainable and achievable by 2050.
Labor’s home batteries policy could help Australians who will never take it up. Here’s how
9 Apr 2025
The government’s promise to slash the cost of household batteries should be welcomed – it could drive a change that benefits everyone who uses the power grid.
Trump’s tariff tantrum won’t stop the global energy transition
9 Apr 2025
Trump has such a passion for tariffs he even imposed them on Antarctic islands – home only to penguins, who presumably pose a grave threat to American industry.
Avoiding a repeat of winter 2025
8 Apr 2025
An analysis predicts that there is a strong probability the electricity sector will get through this winter without any generation shortfalls and avoid the wholesale price excesses of last year - if all goes to plan and diesel is not required for extended periods.
Construction starts on New Zealand’s largest solar farm
4 Apr 2025
Media release | Construction on New Zealand’s largest solar farm project has officially begun at Te Aroha in Waikato, marking a significant milestone for the country’s renewable energy future.
Risky business – banks must consider climate risks, commissioner says
3 Apr 2025
Banks considering climate risks is prudent business practice, not just environmental activism, according to Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton.
Meridian set to build its first solar farm as Genesis stockpiles coal
2 Apr 2025
Meridian Energy is set to start construction on its 130MW Ruakākā Solar Farm south of Whangārei in August 2025, with the project receiving a final investment decision and construction approval from the Meridian Board.
Contact to appeal Southland wind farm rejection
1 Apr 2025
Contact Energy says it will appeal the Southland Wind Farm consent rejection and reapply under the new Fast-Track consent process.
Hawke's Bay Schools Climate Change Challenge now open
1 Apr 2025
Media Release │ Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has announced the launch of the Hawke’s Bay Schools Climate Change Challenge, open to all schools across the region.
Economy and climate go hand in hand – minister
31 Mar 2025
Growing our economy and reducing climate emissions go hand in hand, says Minister of Climate Change Simon Watts.
Is NZ heading towards another energy crunch?
28 Mar 2025
The major gentailers all put forward positive cases at last week’s Downstream conference that they had done all they could to avert a potential energy shortage this winter.
Wind farm rejection will delay Aotearoa’s energy transition
26 Mar 2025
Contact Energy's proposed wind farm in Southland has been rejected, a move the New Zealand Wind Energy Association (NZWEA) says will delay the country's transition to renewable energy.
Energy sector faces complex affordability and security issues
25 Mar 2025
Energy affordability and security of supply were the key themes of the Downstream conference in Christchurch last week.
Climate groups could beat Trump in fight for $20B. It may be too late.
25 Mar 2025
The Trump administration is hitting legal roadblocks in its attempt to revoke $20 billion in climate grants, but its efforts are already achieving one of the president’s key aims: throttling a crucial part of Joe Biden’s clean energy agenda.
If NZ wants to decarbonise energy, we need to know which renewables deliver the best payback
21 Mar 2025
By Alan Brent and Isabella Pimentel Pincelli | A national energy strategy for Aotearoa New Zealand was meant to be ready at the end of last year. As it stands, we're still waiting for a cohesive, all-encompassing plan to meet the country's energy demand today and in the future.
Iwi join discussion on geothermal potential
21 Mar 2025
Media release | Progressing a holistic strategy to unlock the potential of New Zealand's geothermal resources, possibly in applications beyond energy generation, is at the centre of discussions with mana whenua at a hui in Rotorua, Resources and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says.
Govt consulting on Pacific Resilience Facility
Fri 12 Dec 2025
The Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee is calling for submissions on its international treaty examination of the Agreement to Establish the Pacific Resilience Facility.
Govt slammed for weakening methane target
Mon 15 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams The Government has pushed through legislation under urgency to almost halve New Zealand’s 2050 methane target – a move Opposition parties say disregards scientific advice, breaks the country’s hard-won political consensus on climate action, and shifts the burden of higher warming and higher future costs onto the next generation.
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.
‘Cali Fund’ aiming to raise billions for nature receives first donation – of just $1,000
Today 11:15am
A major biodiversity fund – which could, in theory, generate billions of dollars annually for conservation – received its first donation of just $1,000 in November.
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.
Minister not concerned about potential economic impacts of ruling out offshore mitigation
Thu 11 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | Climate Change Minister Simon Watts isn’t worried that ruling out using offshore mitigation is effectively reneging from the Paris Agreement with potential to damage New Zealand’s economy and access to export markets.
Battery subsidy scheme set for 'urgent' overhaul as costs run out of control
Today 11:15am
Australian Energy Minister Chris Bowen has announced big changes to the government's battery subsidy scheme amid claims most of its $2.3 billion budget has been spent in just six months.
Is Govt rushing through changes to climate framework to avoid litigation?
Thu 11 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment says the Government’s motivation for proposed changes to the country’s climate framework law are unclear: “The only reason I can think of is one grounded in potential litigation risk.”
KiwiRail pauses coal trains amid rising climate protests
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.
India at COP30: A mismatch between grandstanding and climate action
Thu 11 Dec 2025
Despite India’s attempt to anoint itself as the leader of the developing world, at the COP30 summit, New Delhi’s track record remains contradictory.
Govt warned that scrapping ag emission pricing comes with risks
Thu 11 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s move to halt plans for agricultural emissions pricing without replacing it with any other action will leave New Zealand facing a bigger gap to meet its third emissions budget, Environment ministry officials have warned.
Australian Government wants EV, PHEV owners to start sending power to the grid
Mon 15 Dec 2025
The newly announced Vehicle-Grid Network is part of a plan to establish Australia as a leader in vehicle-to-grid technology.
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.
COP30 microcosm of difficult geopolitics, says Vanuatu's Climate Minister
Mon 15 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | Despite ‘intransigent’ states blocking multilateralism and a disappointing official outcome, Vanuatu’s Climate Change Minister Ralph Regenvanu says he left the COP30 climate summit feeling more positive than after previous UN climate conferences.
Transport dominates NZ’s rising consumer emissions
Wed 10 Dec 2025
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.
Are rainforests now a cause of, rather than the answer to, climate change?
Mon 15 Dec 2025
A new study finds that Africa’s forests, responsible for one-fifth of global carbon removal, are beginning to generate carbon as the result of human activity.
Oil and gas majors would create $78bn more value by stopping exploration
Thu 11 Dec 2025
Media release | Ten of the world’s largest oil and gas companies would create significantly more shareholder value by ending exploration and sharply curtailing upstream development, according to new analysis released today by ACCR.
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
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.
NZ ‘clearly’ breaching international law on climate – Vanuatu Climate Change Minister
Fri 12 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | Vanuatu’s Climate Change Minister, Ralph Regenvanu, says New Zealand restarting fossil fuel exploration and subsidies is an obvious breach of international law, exposing the country to international and domestic litigation.
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.
Shell facing first UK legal claim over climate impacts of fossil fuels
Fri 12 Dec 2025
Victims of a deadly typhoon in the Philippines have filed a legal claim against oil and gas company Shell in the UK courts, seeking compensation for what they say is the company's role in making the storm more severe.
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.
Media round-up
Fri 12 Dec 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Another offshore wind firm exits New Zealand over a clash with seabed mining; Fonterra falls behind on its climate goals as farm emissions remain flat; and the businesses trapped by the gas 'death spiral'.
NZ could become ‘dumping ground’ for dirty vehicles: Commissioner
Today 11:15am
By Liz Kivi | Simon Upton, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, has warned the Government that its changes to the clean car standard could turn the country into a dumping ground for high emitting cars, making future emissions budgets harder to achieve.
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.
The deep ocean is fixing carbon in ways no one expected
Today 11:15am
A new study reveals that unexpected microbes are quietly fixing carbon in the dark depths of the ocean.
‘A shift no country can ignore’: where global emissions stand, 10 years after the Paris climate agreement
Today 11:15am
The watershed summit in 2015 was far from perfect, but its impact so far has been significant and measurable.
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
4 Dec 2025
The Government has approved new regulations to bring rural waste schemes under one unified framework.
Weak carbon policy misses ‘exponential’ NZ growth opportunity: KiC
Mon 15 Dec 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Ambitious climate change policy is a route to a faster-growing New Zealand economy because of the potential for “exponential” growth in decarbonising technologies,” says KiwisinClimate, a global lobby group of New Zealanders working on climate change policy.
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.
NZ could lose nearly all glaciers this century without stronger climate action
Today 11:15am
New Zealand could see 97% of its glaciers vanish by 2100, with new international modelling projecting a rapid acceleration in glacier extinction from the 2030s onward – even under lower-warming scenarios.
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
Wed 10 Dec 2025
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.
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.
NZ just had its hottest spring in at least 116 years
Wed 10 Dec 2025
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.
Australian market operator slashes wind farm predictions amid falling costs for solar and batteries
Thu 11 Dec 2025
The body that runs Australia's biggest power market has scaled back its plans for high-voltage power lines and wind farms to meet the country's green energy targets.
