Hon Gerry Brownlee
Minister of Energy and Resources

Government Consulting On Energy Policy

Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee today released a Draft New Zealand Energy Strategy (NZES) and Draft New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy (NZEECS) for public consultation.

The strategies have been updated to align with current government energy policy priorities and to reflect a stronger focus on economic development.

“The NZES sets the strategic direction for the energy sector and the role energy will play in the New Zealand economy. The government’s vision is for the energy sector to maximise its contribution to the economy,” Mr Brownlee said.

The NZEECS is a companion strategy, specifically focusing on the promotion of energy efficiency, conservation and renewable energy.

The Draft NZES proposes four priority areas for energy policy:

• development of the full range of New Zealand’s energy resources
• ensuring secure and affordable energy
• efficient use of energy
• environmental responsibility

“New Zealand is a fortunate country, with an abundance of renewable, petroleum and mineral resources that will play an important role in securing a better future for New Zealanders.

“The government proposes to reaffirm the target that 90 per cent of electricity generation be from renewable energy sources by 2025, providing this does not affect security of supply.

“The economics of electricity generation in New Zealand supports investment in renewable electricity generation, with some generation from non-renewable sources for the foreseeable future to ensure security of supply.

“Improving energy security and energy affordability are key concerns on which Cabinet has already acted following the Ministerial Review of Electricity Market Performance.

“In my view, these issues were not accorded a sufficiently strong priority in the 2007 NZES. If New Zealand is to make the step change needed to improve economic performance, we must be able to ensure that the electricity and fuel needs of a growing society can be and are met.

“Energy conservation and efficiency have an important role to play in economic growth. Improving energy efficiency enhances productivity, improves energy security, reduces consumer energy bills, as well as having other benefits such as improving the health and wellbeing of households.

“The draft NZEECS focuses on how New Zealand can leverage energy efficiency initiatives to improve the performance of the economy and achieve these other benefits.

“In the draft NZEECS the government also proposes an ambitious but achievable economy-wide target of 55 petajoules of energy savings through energy efficiency improvements by 2015.

“We are aiming to lift our rate of improvement in energy efficiency savings to close to the OECD average, which is as ambitious as the projected energy savings from the 2007 strategy.

“Environmentally responsible development and use of energy is also a key priority for this government. New Zealand has an enviable reputation internationally and as a country we should strive for best environmental practice to maintain our good environmental record internationally.

“Continuing to integrate responsible environmental management, for example through an improved resource management framework, into the development and efficient use of energy resources is essential to New Zealand’s long-term economic competitiveness,” Mr Brownlee said.

Feedback on the draft strategies closes at 5.00pm on Thursday, 2 September 2010

The draft strategies and information on the submissions process is available at www.med.govt.nz/energystrategy

ENDS

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