NZWEA welcomes Government Energy Strategy

The New Zealand Wind Energy Association has welcomed the New Zealand Government's Energy Strategy announcement today, as it confirms the target of 90% renewable electricity by 2025.

"New Zealand's wind energy industry is up to the task of providing a vital and growing contribution to the country's energy needs," says Wind Energy Association CEO Eric Pyle.

"With limited extra hydro capacity and coal fired generation due to be phased out, we see that wind power could generate 20% of New Zealand's electricity by 2025, up from 4% today." That means growing from 615MW capacity to around 3,000MW.

Wind energy is an economically viable way of providing electricity in New Zealand, Eric Pyle says. "Ultimately the market will decide which new electricity generation is best; and a recent Deloitte report shows that New Zealand wind energy is a cost effective way of bridging the energy gap in the future."

"We look forward to growing wind power's clean electricity supply, creating jobs, local benefits and exportable skills," Eric Pyle comments. "Wind energy will be contributing significantly to New Zealand's future."

ENDS

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