Generation Zero Welcomes Focus On Electricity Industry

Tuesday, 23 April 2013, 9:26 am
Press Release: Generation Zero

Generation Zero Welcomes Focus On Electricity Industry, Calls For National Policy Response

Youth climate change organisation Generation Zero yesterday weighed in on the debate regarding Labour and the Greens’ electricity industry policies and is earnestly awaiting a policy response from the National Government.

Last week Labour and the Green party jointly announced policies to radically reform the New Zealand electricity industry, a key feature is the creation of a Crown Entity and governing body NZ Power to buy power from generators at a price it decides.

Generation Zero publicly indicated support for aspects of the Labour and Greens’ policies, including the focus on renewable energy and energy efficiency.

“We are very interested to hear the National Government’s policy for the electricity industry and we urge it to develop the leads Labour and the Greens have taken in theirs on renewable energy and energy efficiency” said Generation Zero spokesperson, Louis Chambers.

“The focus on electricity generation is timely and aligns with Generation Zero’s 100% Possible campaign to show that it is 100 percent possible for New Zealand to move beyond fossil fuels”.

Generation Zero confirms Labour and the Greens’ view that energy efficiency and demand-side management require more attention, and supports renewable energy sources as detailed in both parties’ policies.  These are crucial to a clean and smart electricity industry for New Zealand.

Generation Zero is committed to incentivising investment in renewable electricity generation and upgrading New Zealand’s electricity network to provide high quality, clean power to a growing smart economy.

“Energy efficiency should not be at odds with achieving profits and we support the measures suggested by the Greens to address this”, said Mr Chambers.

The current National Government has affirmed its commitment to the previous Labour Government’s goal of 90 percent renewable energy produced in New Zealand by 2025.  Generation Zero supports this stance and awaits a response from the National Government to Labour’s policy, including further detail on how National will achieve this.

“National’s responses so far, including labelling the policies a return to soviet-style are unhelpful, we need strong commitments on renewable energy and energy efficiency to achieve the government goal”.  

Mr Chambers stated that “ideally we want to see 100 percent renewable energy as the goal” and that “this is reinforced by the strong growth and jobs these energy sources create, evidenced in recent reports by Greenpeace, the Pure Advantage Group, the Government’s Green Growth Advisory Group, and the Green Party’s Green Jobs economic strategy that highlight the huge growth potential of renewable green energy for the New Zealand economy”.

ENDS

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