Why electricity prices are rising — and what Australia shows us Electricity prices are one of the most immediate ways people experience the energy system. In New Zealand, prices have tended to rise over time, with periodic spikes linked to fuel constraints and dry conditions. Recent increases have been closely associated with declining gas supply … Continue reading Why electricity prices are rising and how to stabilise them
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
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
The New Zealand government’s decision to build a port for gas imports feels designed for a world with a 1999 use-by date. Only those financially invested in preserving the extractive economy of the twentieth century, or those who have swallowed its kool-aid, persist with the fantasy that that world can continue. It is clear that … Continue reading A port for the past — a call to stop the LNG terminal
In writing this post, I am using Edward de Bono’s six thinking hats to ensure different perspectives on CoP 30. Here is a link to a video briefly outlining the hats and why they are used. The black hat (risks and concerns) We've got used to the post-CoP hangover. Negotiations go late into the last … Continue reading CoP 30 Reflections
Climate Action Tai Tokerau 