Don't listen to Old Man Gas. Ditch LNG. Support New Zealand-made energy!
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"Very quickly, the risks outlined around LNG access have come true. Current events make it harder to immediately buy into why this LNG facility is likely the best option, because it has potentially fallen over at the first hurdle." That's Brad Olsen, chief economist at Infometrics, spelling out what the situation in Iran means for New Zealand on RNZ.
As he says in Kate Newton's story about the shipping delays and price rises as a result of the military action in the Middle East: " ... If the whole idea of the LNG facility was to provide that short-term relief, well, if New Zealand hit a dry-year time and something's happening in the Strait of Hormuz, then you've got a very expensive white elephant that might be sitting there."
The LNG facility is about removing a domestic risk (the dry year), but we're solving it by adding another big international risk and increasing our dependency on imported fuel.
In a more volatile world, relying on a volatile commodity as an insurance policy doesn't stack up. Energy security needs to begin at home.
Part of Queenstown is being turned into a testing ground for ideas that could one day help cut your power bill. A new energy sandbox is being scoped to test ideas like energy sharing, plug-in solar and solar for renters in a controlled area, before any wider rule changes. Rewiring Aotearoa's Josh Ellison spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.
As electrification blossoms and homes save money by getting off gas, we need to prepare for more electricity use. That doesn't necessarily mean more expensive upgrades to poles and wires paid for by customers on their bills. It could also be lines companies innovating and ensuring that they make the most of new technology like solar, batteries and two-way charging that can provide generation and reduce the pressure at peak times.
Read moreDownloadNow there's a story we'll be cutting out and putting on the fridge! As The Post reports, misgivings from Act and NZ First about the proposed LNG import terminal mean a contract won't be signed before the election.
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