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RNZ's Kate Newton looks at the decision to build and LNG terminal and speaks with Rewiring CEO Mike Casey, who is pushing for a portfolio approach of more big renewables, more solar on homes, farms and businesses, better use of existing gas reserves and coal and diesel if we really need it.
Casey acknowledged the "mild" irony of a renewables advocate pushing for coal and diesel. "But we're in a situation, through an energy system that hasn't been serving New Zealanders for so long ... where unfortunately we do need some fossil fuels," he said. "The way we get out of it is not investing in more fossil fuels, it's using the fossil fuels that we currently use, and figuring out how to reduce that consumption as fast as we can."
A very cool 'floatovoltaics' project makes use of unproductive pond space and also helps those struggling with their energy bills; renewables push down the price of electricity to nothing (or less than nothing) in Scandinavia and South Australia and New Zealand has an opportunity to follow suit; France goes hard on electrification, while the UK builds better; Aussie truckies reckon electrification will take decades but much bigger electric machines are here now, including some from Volvo; hydrogen generators are an innovation we do not need; the Speight's brewery gets off the gas with a $7.2 million electric boiler; and a bit of 'solarcasm' demonstrates how going off-grid is now an option for some.
Read moreDownloadA big part of our New Zealand-made energy plan is helping gas users get off the pipes and onto the electrons. Now Business NZ has added its voice to the debate, suggesting that the $200 million set aside to help the oil and gas industry is instead used as loans to help businesses electrify. The rare call for support came after it released a report showing that the businesses reliant on gas were struggling with increasing prices and their closure would have a massive impact on jobs and the economy.
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