Natural gas provides the energy for better lives and we want to see New Zealand making the most of this amazing natural resource.
Energy Voices tells the story of its importance to New Zealanders – keeping energy prices down, creating jobs, and powering our homes and businesses.
So many of our factories and industries rely on natural gas to create products like food and building materials, creating jobs and exports for Kiwis. This has never been more important as we rebuild from the impacts of Covid-19.
It’s a great earner too – around $420 million per year on average goes to the Government in taxes and royalties and it generates around 11,000 jobs.
Natural gas is also helping us transition to a lower carbon world. It has half the emissions of coal, and it makes renewable energy possible by providing a crucial back-up at the flick of a switch.
We want to see New Zealand making the most of this great natural asset. Let’s develop it carefully and sustainably here, rather than importing more expensive and higher-emitting fuels from overseas.
It’s no surprise to see fierce debate over proposals to ban new natural gas connections from 2025, given that gas is a hugely popular, safe, reliable and affordable energy source for New Zealanders. Around 400,000 New Zealand homes and businesses choose natural gas for heating...
By John Carnegie, chief executive of Energy Resources Aotearoa. Achieving net zero emissions by 2050 is an admirable and achievable goal, but the Climate Change Commission has proposed a much tougher road than we really need to follow. The commission is picking winners and losers...
Recently an idea was floated in the media to ban natural gas connections into new homes. This might sound ludicrous at first glance, and the more you consider it, well, the more ludicrous it becomes.
Energy Voices is back for 2020! Now more than ever, we need locally-produced energy to power our economic recovery. So many of our factories and industries rely on natural gas to create products like food and building materials, creating jobs and exports for Kiwis. As...
Last week the Interim Climate Change Committee (ICCC) released a report warning of the dangers in trying to replace natural gas in our electricity system. They explain how natural gas is so important in keeping electricity prices down by providing “backup generation when demand is...
The Energy Voices campaign has started a new and revitalised phase. Over the rest of this year we’ll be sharing a series of new videos and graphics outlining how important natural gas is to the cost of living and quality of life for New Zealanders....
The Energy Voices campaign objective has been to bring home to the public and the Government how expensive and damaging the ban on new exploration will be. We have highlighted the stories of the workers and businesses most affected, but there was always going to...
The hurried legislation putting the exploration ban into law used a terrible process in terms of how Parliament is supposed to operate. The very short time allowed for submissions and deliberation showed how little confidence Government MPs had in the decision. It deserved far more...
The new year is often a time for reflection on what was achieved and how we can do better. As 2019 begins, the impact of the rushed decision to end new exploration permits for oil and natural gas is beginning to be felt. The decisions...
Kiwis love their cars. So much so that the Government is very disappointed in us for buying new ones. There were over 4 million vehicles on our roads last year. Almost entirely fuelled by petrol and diesel. This is vital to our transport system and...
Natural gas isn’t something most people worry about. It heats the shower in the morning and others cook their dinner with it. For most Kiwis, gas is something that fires up the barbie. Most people are used to flicking the switch on in the morning...
One of New Zealand’s great philosophers, Rachel Hunter once said “it won’t happen overnight, but it will happen.” And that sage advice is particularly apt when it comes to the development of new energy technologies. Many who have advocated for the ban on new exploration...
Many New Zealand home-owners are going to be opening power bills in coming months and getting a shock as sky-high wholesale electricity prices hit home. A combination of low hydro lake levels and a shortage of gas (only temporary this time) from a production outage...
Energy Voices has been able to spark a good debate about the decision to end new oil and natural gas exploration. It is sad that this discussion wasn’t held before the decision that was made. But at least now people are grappling with the various...
Much fuss has been made by government ministers and other ban supporters about how New Zealand is leading the world by banning new exploration for offshore oil and natural gas. The Prime Minister announced the government’s ban in April, just before her first international trip...
We’ve explained why the ban on new exploration for oil and gas will increase carbon emissions and the impact on regional New Zealand. We think this is a bad idea. It’s not part of any plan and it’s not clear what it is trying to...
A visitor to Taranaki is struck by the high standards of living compared to other regions. While remote from Auckland or Wellington, Taranaki’s per-capita GDP is $70,863 rather than the per-capita $39,896 for Gisborne. The difference has been the prolonged investment in developing oil and...
First up, let’s be clear – nothing in the exploration ban does anything to reduce use of oil or natural gas in New Zealand. So we will have the same demand for oil and natural gas as before the ban, but it won’t be pumped...
1. Where exactly are the new, high tech, well-paid jobs going to come from to replace those jobs lost in the oil and natural gas sector? Buzzwords like innovation and leading-edge sound great on a Wellington whiteboard but real people are losing good jobs right...