Craig Stevens: NZ is surrounded by ocean energy. Just what would it take to tap it?

Same as it ever was” is a phrase that continues to resonate in 2026.

The oil shocks of the 1970s, triggered by conflict in the Middle East, sent global energy prices soaring and exposed the vulnerability of modern economies to fuel supply. They also sparked a global surge of interest in alternative energy.

One particularly intriguing idea at the time came from Stephen Salter, a University of Edinburgh researcher who recognised the enormous amount of energy that is constantly cycled within oceans.

David Farrar: The biggest enemies of renewable energy are … environmentalists

Radio NZ reports:

A plan to fast-track a controversial West Coast hydro scheme has been given an initial go-ahead.

The West Coast lines company, Westpower, has applied to fast-track its controversial plans to build a run-of-river hydro scheme on the Waitaha River, and in its draft decision the fast-track expert panel has given it approval.

Mike's Minute: The war week four and what we've learnt

I think we have a couple of emerging themes as we come to the end of week four of Operation Epic Fury.

If you follow Australia as closely as I do, you will, like me, have been filled with a sense of pride or surprise that we are out doing them in adultness.

Kerre Woodham: Until we have sustainable, reliable alternatives, we need to stock up on fuel

The headline on one of the stories this morning said, "vital or bonkers?". Is the new liquefied natural gas terminal announced by the Government yesterday a vital piece of infrastructure that will save New Zealand households hundreds, shore up gaps in our energy supply, give confidence to our manufacturers, or as the Greens are saying, absolutely bonkers for the planet and for our country's energy resilience?

Duggan Flanakin: Japan tries out osmotic energy

Residents of the Japanese coastal city of Fukuoka are pioneering the world’s first full-sized osmotic power plant — which generates electricity by mixing fresh water with saltwater. The plant, which opened on August 5, generates about 880,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, enough to run a nearby desalination facility and supply about 220 nearby homes.

Pee Kay: Renewable Energy - Mmm, let me think about that!

All facets of New Zealand life are, in some way or another, being adversely affected by our energy crisis.

Whether it be our dwindling natural gas reserves, mounting electricity costs, generation and supply problems or even the method of generation, demands for urgent reform only increase.

Ani O'Brien: A week is a long time - 19 July 2025

Spotlight on Chris Bishop

He’s consistently one of the highest performing ministers in the Government and there are a couple of things I want to highlight about Chris Bishop this week. First is his excellent speech at the LGNZ conference in Christchurch. It takes a steel spine to stand up in front of a room full of local government egos and tell them to pull their heads in. Standing ovation!

Sean Rush: Acknowledging Tamatha Paul’s Concerns...

Acknowledging Tamatha Paul’s Concerns: A Balanced Perspective on Police Visibility

Tamatha Paul and I served together as Wellington city councillors from 2019 to 2022. Despite our differing political affiliations, we found common ground on several issues and developed a warm relationship that continues to this day. Recently, Tamatha, now a Green MP, expressed concerns about the heightened police visibility on Wellington streets, suggesting it causes more anxiety than security for some community members. As someone who worked as a criminal defence lawyer in Hawkes Bay back in the early 1990s, I can acknowledge Tamatha’s concerns.

Sallust: The Cold Truth – Britain’s Grim Winter’s Tale

Unfortunately, climate activists live in the fantasy world of averages and averages of averages, not reality. In their mythical universe temperatures can be stabilised and power consumption projected, all based on those averages. Their ideology has been allowed to drive Government policy for years and the result has been a misguided reliance on the vagaries and unreliability of solar and wind power.

Ronald Stein, John Shanahan, Green scam of the century -“Renewables” drive up fossil fuel demand

In the transition to so-called clean and green electricity, critical minerals and metals bring new challenges to electricity security.

Solar plants, wind farms, and EVs generally require more minerals to build than their fossil fuel-based counterparts. A typical electric car requires six times the mineral inputs of a conventional car, and an onshore wind plant requires nine times more mineral resources than a gas-fired plant. Since 2010, the average amount of minerals needed for a new unit of power generation capacity has increased by 50% as the share of wind and solar renewables in new investments has risen.

Ronald Stein, John Shanahan: Wind and solar cannot replace oil

The elephant in the room that no one wants to discuss is that crude oil is the foundation of our materialistic society as it is the basis of all products and fuels demanded by the 8 billion on this planet, of which only one billion existed less than 200 years ago.

All hospitals, airports, communication systems, militaries, planes, trains, and vehicles are based on the products that did not exist before the 1800’s, that are now made from fossil fuels.

Faith Jeremiah: The renewable energy hidden in our wastewater ponds – here’s how it could work

New Zealand is confronting a perfect storm.

Its energy grid faces three pressing challenges at once: an unreliable electricity supply, strict emissions reduction targets and ongoing environmental issues related to wastewater ponds.

As the country prepares to meet growing energy demands, the variability of wind, solar and hydroelectric power has made year-round electricity generation hard to ensure.

Professor Alan Brent: NZ energy crisis: electricity demand will jump as NZ decarbonises....

NZ energy crisis: electricity demand will jump as NZ decarbonises – can renewable generation keep up?

The prime minister has called it an “energy security crisis” and signalled a review of New Zealand’s electricity market as wholesale prices spike and industries suffer.

And he’s right – this year has seen pricing turmoil. August saw daily averages ranging between NZ$164.52 and $853.57 per megawatt hour (MWh). By comparison, August 2023 saw a maximum daily average price of $168.43 per MWh.

Paul Driessen: Leftist judges shouldn’t touch climate policy

The Supreme Court may soon decide whether far-left cities or states can circumvent legislative processes and instead use our courts to impose radical environmental agendas.

Having failed to garner enough political support to minimize or eliminate carbon-based fuels, nearly three dozen progressive jurisdictions have resorted to having friendly state judges circumvent the Constitution on national issues. They want no debate, no public referendums, no legislative process — just one like-minded judge penalizing energy companies for “causing climate change.”

David Farrar: Great speech by Simon Upton

An excellent speech by Parliamentary Commissioner Simon Upton for the Environment to Environment Defence Society conference. He focuses on the real substance and challenge of improving the environment, as opposed to just making noise. His key points:

Mike Hosking: We can't save the environment...because of the environment?

In a world, where increasingly the battle for renewables is being dented if not lost, how wise is it to find a solar farm idea near Lake Tekapo has been rejected because of the environment?

You want to 'save the environment' but you can't because of the environment?

Derek Mackie: Ain't No Solar When She's Gone

A modern-day reworking of the Bill Withers classic, Ain’t no Sunshine, celebrating the “wonders” of renewable power generation 

 Ain't no solar when she's gone 

Got no power when she's away 

Harsh reality’s just dawned 

The grid ain't something to be scorned 

Anytime she goes away 

Peter Wilson: The Week in Politics - Labour's Auckland Harbour tunnel plan, National's cellphone ban

An ambitious and vastly expensive tunnel proposal for Auckland Harbour, a $2 billion international fund for New Zealand's renewable energy projects, the latest poll shows NZ First with enough support to get back into Parliament and the hottest topic of the week: National's policy to ban cellphones in schools.

It was a simple announcement by National Party leader Christopher Luxon that created the most controversy this week.

Ian Bradford: The PM reveals plan to accelerate NZ’s switch to wind and solar

The PM  Chris Hipkins has revealed the Government’s plan to accelerate  NZ’s switch to clean energy with wind and solar. 

Many more of these unreliable, polluting, environment destroying projects, will soon take up more of our valuable land. 

“These projects can proceed faster, provided they meet the normal environmental tests as determined by expert consenting panels.”  So say the government. 

Peter Williams: Why 100 percent?

We're already among the world's most sustainable electricity generators

Why does New Zealand need to have 100 percent renewable electricity generation?

Just what exactly will it prove about anything to anybody, apart from the egos of some politicians.

Because of the foresight of parliament and bureaucrats from the 1920s to the early 1990s, and blessedly the absence of the Resource Management Act in those years, we have one of the highest percentages of electricity generated from renewable sources in the world.