Source: Greenpeace
The energy policy initiatives announced by the Luxon Government today are a desperate attempt to revive fossil fuels, which have spectacularly failed to provide New Zealand with cheap or reliable energy, and which are destroying the climate.
The Luxon Government today announced its long awaited energy initiatives, which included Government subsidies for a fossil gas (LNG) import facility, subsidies for new fossil fuel generation, and re-announced subsidies for fossil fuel exploration.
“While China and much of the world embraces low cost solar and wind energy, Luxon and Trump are doubling down on government subsidised ‘drill baby drill’ policies to support fossil fuel companies,” says Greenpeace Aotearoa Executive Director Dr Russel Norman.
“New Zealanders will pay the price for Luxon’s Trumpian energy policy with higher electricity bills, less energy security, higher taxes, and more climate pollution.
“We have the opportunity to embrace cheaper renewable generation with low carbon emissions. Generating our own energy from renewables is not only good for the climate, it is also necessary to save our economy from a wave of deindustrialisation driven by high priced fossil fuel energy.
“Fossil fuel dependence is expensive, with the gas industry’s own study finding LNG-fuelled electricity costs more than renewables, and it locks us into endlessly paying for more imported fossil fuels with volatile prices. And of course it would take years if it was ever built.
“The Luxon Government has systematically undermined New Zealand’s transition away from unreliable, expensive fossil gas. It abandoned the NZ Battery Project designed to provide long term storage and security to our energy system. It closed the Government Investment in Decarbonisation Industry fund which was helping industry cut its fossil gas use. It stopped work on the Gas Transition Plan which was specifically designed to move on from fossil gas. And it blocked huge offshore wind generation by fast tracking seabed mining.
“The decision to give $200m in government subsidies for more gas exploration, while weakening the laws regulating end-of-life decommissioning costs for oil fields, are subsidies to oil and gas companies. These subsidies will cost New Zealanders dearly.
“Luxon’s War on Nature is not only terrible for the planet, it is expensive. Greenpeace will continue to defend nature – bring on the sun!”
