Clean, reliable electricity needs active Government leadership

Government leadership to increase reliable, clean, renewable electricity generation is the only credible way to prevent power outages as we tackle climate change, the Green Party said today.

“Everyone has a right to be able to turn on their heater in winter and, in a climate emergency, the Government has a responsibility to ensure the our power comes from clean sources,” Green Party Energy and Resources spokesperson Julie Anne Genter said today.

“Fossil fuels failed to deliver reliable electricity last night, so the Government needs to take action to encourage more new renewable generation, greater resilience in the power grid, and smarter energy efficiency and conservation.

“We encourage the minister to look closely at which electricity companies made a lot of money from wholesale price spikes last night, and why the rules enabled that to happen while people were left shivering in their homes.

“Rooftop solar and batteries in peoples’ homes and businesses can store free energy from the sun and help with reliability and resilience. Solar has to be part of the solution, alongside other clean electricity generation.

“Decades of a hands-off approach to the electricity market have come to a head, the market clearly failed last night, and the Government needs to take a more active role to ensure reliable, clean, affordable electricity.

“Aotearoa is lucky to have a wealth of clean energy potential which can be used to heat our households and run our businesses, but if anyone needs to conserve electricity in the short term that responsibility must be on the major industrial users not families at home this winter.

“National and ACT are barking up the wrong tree trying burn more fossil fuels, when fossil fuels contributed to the power cuts last night and are causing the climate change crisis.”

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