Hon Simon Watts
Minister for Energy

The Guardians of Lakes Manapōuri and Te Anau and Meridian Energy have agreed on changes to the Operating Guidelines for how the lake levels are managed, that will boost New Zealand’s hydro generation and energy security, Energy Minister Simon Watts has announced.

“These changes will deliver an extra 45 GWh of energy from the Manapōuri Power Scheme each year that’s enough energy to power around 6,000 homes. It is an important step in the Government and the sector’s work to protect the security of our energy supply for the future,” Mr Watts says.

“Last Winter, New Zealand faced an energy shortage that led to significant price increases for consumers, in part due to low hydro lake levels. This Government will not accept a repeat of last winter and is working at pace to ensure we have a reliable and affordable energy supply.

“Lake Manapōuri and Lake Te Anau are not only environmentally and culturally significant, but they are also essential to New Zealand’s energy system. However, in recent years the lower operating ranges of these lakes have been underutilised, impacting our energy supply and risking the health of plant life along their shorelines.

“The agreement reached today allows for more flexible drawdown rates once the lakes reach lower operating levels, enabling Meridian to continue generating when lake levels are low. The changes balance the needs of our country’s electricity system with the environmental impact on the lakes and their surrounding areas.

“I am pleased to have enacted the Guardians and Meridian’s recommendations by amending the relevant legislation and publishing in the New Zealand gazette.

“I acknowledge the expertise of the Guardians, who are responsible for advising on environmental, ecological and social effects of the power station on the lakes, and Meridian, as operator of the Manapōuri power station.

“I thank them for working together to recommend a path forward that better protects the existing patterns, ecological stability and recreational values of the lakes, while optimising hydro generation.”

Notes:

• Changes to the operating guidelines include changing the drawdown rates, reducing duration requirements, and removing equinoctial requirements. In more detail:

o Changing the drawdown rates - the rates at which hydro generation can reduce the levels of the lakes – when they are in their “Low Operating Ranges”, enabling Meridian to generate more flexibly at the lower ranges.

o Removing the duration requirements on the how long the Lakes can stay within the first band of Low Operating Ranges, enabling Meridian to continue generating more often when hydro levels reach these stages.

o Removing equinoctial requirements, which set additional limits on how hydro generation could affect the Lakes twice a year during windier periods.

• Minister Watts has given effect to these changes under section 4A of the Manapōuri-Te Anau Development Act 1963.
• The Guardians of Lakes Manapōuri and Te Anau are a statutory advisory board appointed by the Minister for Conservation. Of the eight Guardians, at least one is nominated by Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tau to represent iwi interests as part of the Crown’s Treaty settlement with the iwi.

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