Don't listen to Old Man Gas. Ditch LNG. Support New Zealand-made energy!
Now 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.
To its credit, the Government has recognised that the risk is too high to sign it now without the enabling legislation. Hopefully it has also recognised that things have changed markedly since LNG was proposed as a solution to the dry year problem (and, if they're being honest, a solution to the shortage of domestic gas for industrial users).
The war in the Middle East has seen LNG prices spike, the renewables roll out is continuing at pace, and the closure of Methanex has meant there is now more gas available for electricity in the short-term, something energy minister Simeon Brown and others have said may provide some relief.
Over the weekend, we launched a campaign focused on ditching LNG and backing New Zealand-made energy, and there has been a lot of work done by many others to show that the LNG import terminal was expensive and unnecessary. To them we raise a toast.
We will take this short-term reprieve as a win - and we hope that sense will prevail and a contract will never be signed. But we could still lose if we don't have a plan to get our big businesses off gas.
LNG is clearly not a hill some of our politicians want to die on. And now that it is off the table, it's time to direct some of that resource to electrifying industry, as well as our homes, farms and businesses.
⚡
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.
Read moreDownload
