Electricity Security “Better Under Labour”
August 13th, 2008
Energy Minister David Parker has fended off Opposition attacks in Parliament over the Govt’s track record in securing electricity supply, by outlining how much more generation and transmission capacity is being built under Labour. Parker notes the power crisis in Auckland in the late 1990s, when the lights went out in the CBD for two weeks, occurred under a National Govt. He points out under National during the 1990s, investment in transmission was about $50m a year. This year it is $450m and next year it will increase further. Furthermore, 1400MW of new generation capacity is due to be built in the next four years. To put that in perspective, 1400MW is about 10 years’ demand growth. Thus, Parker argues, security margins are going to increase substantially.
Of the 1400MW of new generation, more than half is base-load geothermal and most is renewable. Parker adds there 400MW of renewables which are under construction at present. If all proposed major generation projects either consented or at the application stage are included, the total is about 2800MW, although not all these projects are likely to be built.
New generation currently on the drawing board includes:
• Project Hayes: Meridian Energy, wind, 630MW (consented)
• Mahinerangi: TrustPower, wind, 200MW (consented)
• Kaiwera Downs: TrustPower, wind, 240MW (consented)
• Te Pohue Wind Farm: Hawke’s Bay Wind Farm, wind 225MW (consented)
• Hauauru ma raki: Contact Energy, wind, 650MW (application stage)
• Kaipara: Genesis Energy, gas, 360MW (application stage)
• Te Mihi Stage 1 and 2: Contact Energy, geothermal, 247MW (application stage)
• Kaipara Harbour: Crest Energy, tidal, 200MW (awaiting consent).
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