The reappointment of Hon Dr Megan Woods as Minister of Energy and Resources has been warmly welcomed by the Sustainable Energy Association New Zealand (SEANZ).

SEANZ Chairman, Brendan Winitana says "We look forward to continuing our work with the Minister on renewable energy – solar, storage and the digitisation models that enable greater consumer and community-centric models and lower-cost electricity.

“Achieving the 100% renewable energy target by 2030 is achievable and solar and distributed energy technologies have a significant part to play in helping New Zealand achieve that target” says Mr Winitana.

The drive to decarbonise our economy means keeping carbon in the ground and further investment in renewable energy generation that works for New Zealand. Solar has been declared "the new king" in the 2020 annual energy outlook report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) displacing fossil fuel generation. With a continued global trend in take-up of solar at a far reduced cost, the economics of solar is driving economic growth with new jobs and new export opportunities in other countries, which New Zealand can benefit from.

New Zealand can also benefit greatly from building resilience in our electricity infrastructure. With over $550 million of private investment in solar and storage in New Zealand, the start of the resilience-building is being actioned by kiwi households. Together with the Minister, SEANZ seeks to reduce the barriers and help develop policies to encourage the investment required to drive further resilience and create more jobs.

"SEANZ also looks forward to working with the Minister for Climate Change, James Shaw, as we work towards ensuring Kiwis have a sustainable future,” Mr Winitata says.

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