National’s Energy Strategy Will Leave NZ Hooked On Oil, Coal And Gas

New National Party documents reinforce National’s old-fashioned thinking that burning oil, coal and gas should dominate New Zealand’s future energy supply, Labour's Energy Spokesperson Nanaia Mahuta and Environment Spokesperson Charles Chauvel say.

The two MPs were commenting on Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee's long-delayed release on Friday of consultation drafts of the revised New Zealand Energy Strategy and the New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy.

"There are three main problems with Gerry Brownlee's new strategy,” Charles Chauvel and Nanaia Mahuta said.

"First, and most seriously, they do not actively promote the use of renewable energy. While the documents pay lip service to the goal of achieving 90 per cent renewable electricity generation by 2025, they foreshadow no incentives to promote wind, hydro, solar, wave, and tidal energy.

“Overseas experience shows that incentives are necessary to promote the continued uptake of renewables.

“The new Energy Strategy is far too focussed on the use of fossil fuels. If adopted, it will lock us in to using them instead of promoting our natural advantages in cleaner, renewable alternatives.

"Secondly, the time it has taken for Gerry Brownlee to publish these draft documents shows how little regard National is likely to pay to them.

“He first announced his intention to review the Energy Strategy in February 2009. Nearly 18 months later, a revised draft has finally been published for public consultation.

“This is well after the shape of the Government's new electricity legislation has been finalised.

“Mr Brownlee announced the review of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy in August 2009. His revised consultation draft comes 11 months later.

"Thirdly, there is a very short time frame for public responses to the documents, which calls into question the Government's regard for public views on energy and energy efficiency and conservation policy.

“The documents were made public on Friday and feedback is required by September 2.

“Six weeks is a very short period of time to make submissions on policies that signal a major retreat from a lower-emissions, renewable energy future,” Nanaia Mahuta and Charles Chauvel said.

ENDS

© Scoop Media