Anadarko’s oil strike-out highlights need for clean energy investment

The Government needs to abandon their failing deep sea drilling plans and focus on a clean energy economy for New Zealand, the Green Party said today.

The Green Party was responding to reports that Texan oil giant Anadarko failed to find commercially viable oil in the Deepwater Canterbury Basin off the Otago coast and will not be drilling another well.

“National's deep sea drilling plans are failing, it’s time they focused on clean energy, green-tech and IT which will actually deliver jobs and regional economic development,” said Green Party energy spokesperson Gareth Hughes.

“Rolling out the red carpet and subsidising the wealthy oil industry while ignoring clean energy jobs, as the National Government has done, is not smart economic plan for New Zealand.

“Andarko is leaving empty handed and this highlights pinning hopes on oil is a failed economic strategy and we’d be better to invest in a clean energy economy.

“The Green Party in Government would look to provide leadership to industries like clean energy and IT that, in the long-term, we know will be good for the environment and economy.

“New Zealand has a huge opportunity in the clean energy sector which could be worth billions of dollars annually.

“The Government’s $46 million exploration subsidy to the oil drilling industry last year could have built a lot of solar panels.

“Solutions like the Green Party’s Solar Homes initiative will create jobs and give families a break from rising power bills,” said Mr Hughes.

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