The government of New Zealand said Thursday it was taking additional steps to adopt a low-carbon economy by creating incentives to use more electric vehicles. “It’s clear that electric vehicles Continue Reading
Royal Dutch Shell Plc, which reported its biggest net loss in more than a decade in October and has halted projects in Canada and the Arctic, is reviewing investments in Continue Reading
Shell has put its upstream holdings in New Zealand, which account for a significant chunk of the nation’s oil and gas production, up for sale. “These assets are profitable, well Continue Reading
New Zealand’s government joined a global geothermal energy group, saying the move was emblematic of a shift toward a low-carbon economy. New Zealand Energy Minister Simon Bridges announced from the Continue Reading
The era of coal is over, the government in New Zealand says as it phases in more renewable energy on its electric grid. Photo by Reinhard Tiburzy/Shutterstock WELLINGTON, New Zealand, Aug. 6 (UPI) — Coal-fired power is coming to an end in New Zealand as the country focuses on taking the global pole position in renewables, the energy minister said. "Historically coal has played an important role in ensuring the security of New Zealand’s electricity supply, particularly in dry years where our hydro-lake levels are low," New Zealand Energy and Resources Minister Simon Bridges said in a statement. "But significant market investment in other forms of renewable energy in recent years, particularly in geothermal, means that a coal backstop is becoming less of a requirement." Utility Genesis Energy said Thursday it’s on pace to shut down its last two coal-fired power plants by December 2018, effectively marking the end […]
New Zealand said strategy for offshore oil developments paying off. Oil is country’s No. 4 source of export revenue. (UPI/Shutterstock/James Jones Jr.) WELLINGTON, New Zealand, July 2 (UPI) — The New Zealand government said Thursday a long-term investment by Austrian energy company OMV in the country’s largest oil field has paid off. OMV started producing oil from the Maari field, the largest offshore oil field in New Zealand, in 2009. It’s so far produced a total 15 million barrels and the company has since embarked on a campaign to double the expected rate of production. "The national government’s hard work in this area has delivered significant levels of exploration activity," Energy Minister Simon Bridges said in a statement. "By necessity, the petroleum sector has a long-term view and – even with the current low global oil price – we remain confident that New Zealand remains attractive for those wanting […]
New Zealand says it’s on pace to use renewable resources for nearly all of its electricity. File Photo by UPI/Stephen Shaver. The share of renewable energy on the grid in New Zealand is the highest it’s been in close to 20 years, the country’s energy minister said Thursday. The share of electricity generated from renewable resources last year was 79.9 percent, a 5 percent increase from the previous year. "New Zealand’s share of renewable electricity generation is the fourth largest in the world," Energy and Resources Minister Simon Bridges said in a statement. The government attributed the rise to the growth in geothermal generation, which more than doubled in the last decade. New Zealand last held an auction for oil and gas exploration in December, which Bridges said was the most successful to date . Around 149 million barrels of oil reserves remain in fields already in production and […]
