We have alternatives to gas. renewable generation options flexible demand pathways multiple transition strategies across sectors. The magnitude of this issue is worthy of a much broader public debate. Reducing gas demand also has a material impact on New Zealand’s emissions profile. Based on current emissions factors, a reduction of 100 petajoules of gas consumption … Continue reading Policy, risk, and the direction of our energy system
Author: Peter Bruce-iri
Aotearoa’s advantage: How solar power protects our hydro lakes
This is the second post on our Energy Future Series. New Zealand’s energy debate is often framed as a problem of shortage. But the deeper issue is not whether we have enough energy. it is whether we design the system to use it wisely. One of our greatest advantages is already built into our landscape … Continue reading Aotearoa’s advantage: How solar power protects our hydro lakes
Dry-year risk: What critics get right, and wrong
This is the third post in our Energy Future Series. New Zealand’s electricity system faces a real challenge. In dry years, when inflows into hydro lakes are low, the system can come under pressure, particularly through winter. This is a well-understood risk, and it deserves to be taken seriously. But how we respond to that … Continue reading Dry-year risk: What critics get right, and wrong
Why LNG is the wrong solution for Aotearoa’s energy future
Weeks after the government's announcement to build an LNG import terminal in Taranaki, the decision doesn't look good. The Israeli-U.S. war on Iran is exposing the risk of fossil fuel dependency. And here in Aotearoa the Lawyers for Climate Action are taking the government to court about deficiencies in climate policy. New Zealand is being … Continue reading Why LNG is the wrong solution for Aotearoa’s energy future
What do you think of our food system strategy?
In 2025 we published Repairing Our Food Web: Accelerating the transition from Industrial Food Systems to Regenerative Food Systems in Te Tai Tokerau, and a shorter graphical summary. The food system is complex, so it is hard to summarise, but we have now condensed it further into a one-page diagram. (Click on the image for … Continue reading What do you think of our food system strategy?