Source: New Zealand Government
New Zealand has opened its waters to offshore renewable energy, with Parliament today passing the Offshore Renewable Energy Bill, Energy Minister Simeon Brown.
“New Zealand’s renewable electricity generation reached a record 96.4 per cent in the last three months of 2025 and offshore renewable energy has the potential to contribute to that, and to help New Zealand meet increasing demand for power,” Mr Brown says.
“However, the absence of a regulatory framework for offshore renewable energy – wind, solar, wave or tidal – has created uncertainty for potential developers.
“The winds off the South Taranaki coast are on a par with those of the North Sea, the most productive offshore wind region in the world, and because they blow so steadily, offshore turbines are expected to run at higher capacity than turbines on land.
“The South Taranaki Bight alone could one day supply a significant amount of new generating capacity, with a single large project there potentially powering more than 650,000 homes.
“The Offshore Renewable Energy Bill passed by Parliament today:
allows the selection of developments that best meet New Zealand’s national interests
manages risks to the Crown and the public from offshore renewable energy developments.
“The new regulations introduce a two-stage permitting regime. A feasibility permit will give a potential developer the certainty needed to investigate a particular site. If they decide to go ahead, they will require a commercial permit and the relevant environmental consents to build and operate offshore renewable energy infrastructure.
“The regime allows safety zones to be created around the developments to protect people and assets and put obligations on developers to decommission the infrastructure when it is no longer being used.
“Now that the Bill has passed, officials will advise when the first tender round for permits can proceed. I expect this to occur in the coming months.
“This Government’s goal is abundant, affordable and reliable power for all New Zealanders and these new measures are another small step towards reaching that goal.”
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/07/02/building-the-future-of-offshore-renewable-energy/