Labour has committed to 100% renewable energy in a decade. But is that the right goal? The path to real sustainability and for New Zealand to live up to its clean, green brand has received renewed attention during the 2020 election campaign. There is a key divergence in the main political parties ideas for the … Read more
A truly ambitious solution would keep jobs in Southland, delivering on the promise of the Zero Carbon Act to make NZ all but carbon neutral by 2050, writes Nicola Gaston in a post co-authored with Sally Brooker, Justin Hodgkiss and David Williams of The MacDiarmid Institute. Tiwai Point is in the news, again. Jeanette Fitzsimons, … Read more
Right now, ministers are envisioning a future in which an over-supply of renewable energy is captured, stored in hydrogen cells and exported. Is that realistic? Jenée Tibshraeny from Interest takes a hard look at the potential and possibilities. The government wants to position New Zealand as a front-runner rather than a fast-follower on the development … Read more
OPINION: With several high profile government objectives in the spotlight, a single ministry could drive better outcomes across them all. Robyn Holdaway, senior policy advisor at Vector, makes the case for a Ministry for Energy. When the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment was created in 2012 it replaced not one but four full ministry-level … Read more
To mark the launch of the Helen Clark Foundation‘s first report, its executive director Katherine Errington writes about New Zealand’s potential to become a ‘green’ hydrogen exporter. Much has been written about hydrogen of late, debating its place in the transition to clean energy. Globally, the debate is broadly split between Japan and North America. … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Dramatic climbdown on a key Kiwibuild target, future of New Zealand’s energy supply in focus, and hundreds of teacher vacancies remain. The government’s flagship Kiwibuild policy is set to fall seriously short of the first real target it has had to meet. Housing minister Phil Twyford has … Read more
The government is digging deep into the price of electricity in New Zealand, with a review of the entire energy sector. What will the review look at, why should there even be one, and does it mean you might pay less for power? Vector’s Bridget McDonald has the answers. A lot has happened since we … Read more
Ever considered making and selling electricity from the comfort of your home or business? While that might sound like some dodgy online scam, it’s not as far-fetched as you might think, writes Vector’s Chief Networks Officer Andre Botha. You’ve read the news stories already: technology is evolving and everyone’s an innovator these days and the … Read more
The government is digging deep into the price of electricity in New Zealand, with a review of the entire energy sector. What will the review look at, why should there even be one, and does it mean you might pay less for power? * Where did the idea for a review come from? The price … Read more
Vector’s new technology engineer Kate Murphy shines a light on the history and impact little things can make on energy reduction at scale. New inventions or refinements of old ones continue to make our life better, or at least easier. That’s not a bombshell. But what is sometimes not understood is how tasks that once … Read more
As the government announces an end to new extraction on conversation land, Sefton Darby – whose position on the debate has shifted over the years – says the crucial issue is how we decide at all A lazy no. Then a full-hearted they’re all corrupt, no. Then yes. Then maybe. Then it depends. Those are, … Read more
To finally get to our dream jobs at The Spinoff, our staff have been through some pretty terrible employment. From flagrant sexism to gagging on fur balls from beard clippings, we at The Spinoff were exploited and used by our former employers. But now you don’t have to suffer the indignity that we endured, because … Read more
Jonathan Cotton hears how technology can help literally save the world at Techweek’17’s Disrupting Climate Change event in Christchurch. Big-brained idealistic-types made up the crowd at Wednesday night’s Disrupting Climate Change event at the EPIC (Enterprise Precinct and Innovation Campus), part of Christchurch’s Techweek’17 offering. There’s was lots to hear and lots to learn. The … Read more