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Have your say on NZ's energy future

Home » Blog » Lynda Brendish » Have your say on NZ's energy future

By Lynda Brendish

Greenpeace and the WWF say the government's draft energy strategy needs to move away from non-renewable fossil fuels, and must focus on developing better public transport.

Image by Warren Rohner via Flickr

The government's draft energy strategy was released three months ago, but it managed to fly under our radar until now. The good news is that the strategy is still open for public submissions—but if you want to make a contribution, you've got to get in by 5pm on Thursday!

The draft energy strategy is a document intended to "set the strategic direction for … the role energy will play in the New Zealand economy", according to the Ministry of Economic Development (MED).

The strategy aims to grow New Zealand's economy through developing our petroleum resources, and sets a target of generating 90 percent renewable electricity by 2025 (we're at 73 percent currently).

But both Greenpeace and the WWF say the strategy prioritises fuel, oil and mineral extraction over renewable technologies. The WWF says the strategy is "riddled with holes". Its critical analysis of the plan says:

  • Emitting carbon will cost the New Zealand economy more and more—there are no clear plans to set us on a path to lower our emissions
  • In the future, oil prices will steadily rise but the government's plan fails to protect New Zealanders from these rising costs
  • There is no clear plan to transition away from fossil fuels

WWF is calling on the government to: 

Reverse the priorities of the draft strategy away from coal and oil and towards renewables and new clean fuels

Clearly state it will not expand coal-fired energy generation

Help New Zealanders beat their addiction to oil: expand public transport, make our car fleet more efficient, and encourage development and use of homegrown biofuels

Fill in the huge holes in the current plan of how to acheive 90% renewables by 2025

Submissions close this week, Thursday 2 September at 5pm.

Read the strategy and make a submission via the MED website, or fill in a form submission at the WWF or Greenpeace websites

Comments

Inger Perkins
 
Thu September 02, 2010 @ 09:29 PM
If the Draft Energy Strategy flew under your radar until hours before submissions closed, how many more radars will it have avoided?  Certainly mine.  Perhaps you could lobby for the deadline to be extended by a month due to a failure by the government to seek public input adequately.
pioverten
 
Thu September 02, 2010 @ 11:18 PM
I only had time for a quick read.
there is very little in there about education or upskilling.
In my experience as an engineer, the public's understanding of energy is absolutely piss-poor, so trying to understand energy issues is a little fraught.

Perhaps the govt strategy should centre on making people a little smarter or enabling them to understand the issues and solutions.   
Nonavee Dale
 
Sat September 04, 2010 @ 09:47 PM
Only the most important issue of our time.  I wish I could have submitted!  That's terrible "democracy".
Lynda Brendish
 
Wed September 08, 2010 @ 02:06 PM
Here's an interesting article criticising the strategy in the Otago Daily Times
http://www.odt.co.nz/campus/university-otago/124174/government-energy-policy-criticised


"The energy strategy also risked damaging the country's
"green" reputation, while encouraging developing nations to
say "why bother about climate change".



"'It sends the wrong messages to the likes of China. When they
see a developed country focusing so strongly on fossil fuels,
why should they limit their use of them?'"

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