NZ Blackouts Coming: Absurd, Totally Unnecessary, Hold Politicians Accountable
June 6th, 2008Kiwis, what’s about to happen is ridiculous. Contact your MPs. Ask them why we don’t have net metering. Ask them why incentives for individuals to set up small scale generation are so pathetic. Ask them why more effort hasn’t gone into developing baseload capacity from geothermal and wave/tidal sources.
Turn them on to Charmaine Watts (Appropriate name):
A possible looming winter power shortage should encourage New Zealand to accelerate the adoption of small scale renewable electricity options, Sustainable Electricity Association New Zealand said today.
Chief executive Charmaine Watts said more people were feeling helpless each winter in the face of spiralling prices and the threat of power shortages.
“It’s high time the Government woke up and considered the advantages of small scale renewable electricity options if it is really serious about its target of generating 90 per cent of our power needs from renewable sources by 2025, she said in a lecture to mark World Environment Day.
Ms Watts is leading by example. Eight years ago her family decided to generate as much of their energy needs as possible. Using small scale wind and solar power and a wood burner, the Watts consume only 500 to 1000 kilowatt hours (kWh) a year compared with the average family consumption of between 8000-12,000kWh.
“It is possible, but the Government needs to do more to reduce the costs of adopting these technologies as happens in many other countries.”
She said overseas, small scale renewables were being embraced at the rate equivalent to the output of seven Clyde Dams a year thanks to active government policies.
If more power was generated where it was consumed it would mean fewer power stations being built, fewer fossil fuels being burnt, and fewer wind farms being erected.
“We would all have greater control over our power bills and be more confident our water will stay hot and our lights will stay on each winter. What’s more, we would be helping deal with climate change so it’s a clear win-win.”
They’re asleep at the wheel in that beehive, and when the lights go out, it’s going to be their fault.
I know, I know. “Start newzealand.cryptogon.com,” most of you groaning. I’ll try to contain myself.
Via: Stuff:
One of the country’s biggest gas-fired power stations has failed just days before electricity companies are expected to call a nationwide energy savings campaign because of the drought in the South Island.
On Wednesday night Contact Energy took its Otahuhu B gas-fired power station near Auckland offline to repair a fault, which may take four days. The 10-year-old station has a capacity of 400 megawatts.
National hydro lake storage is down to 53 per cent of average and is likely to fall further because Otahuhu is out of action. Low lake levels have driven wholesale electricity prices to record levels.
Big power company bosses are due to meet on Monday to decide if a public power savings campaign should start, possibly by the middle of the month. Without significant rain, it is possible “ripple control” hot water heating may be cut back by early July, sources said.
National’s energy spokesman Gerry Brownlee said Otahuhu’s failure should be the cue for Energy Minister David Parker to announce “the crisis measures he’s been trying so hard to avoid”.
The southern hydro lakes would be using water that would otherwise be held in reserve for winter.
“The situation is remarkably bad. Just to keep the lights on, New Zealanders are relying on a broken Cook Strait cable, an asbestos-riddled mothballed plant in New Plymouth, and a diesel-guzzling emergency generator at Whirinaki.”
i think this is a relevant and valid topic for cryptogon.
Kevin, you live in nz, and this is a mini-case-study in how
the ruling elites in a small, well-resourced country
continue to completely fcuk things up while pretending to know what they are doing.
nz has had so many opportunities to get its act together in
electricity generation and infrastructure. but no,
silly games and new versions of “the emperor has no clothes”
is what we get instead.
let it be a valuable lesson to readers in other countries.
this is what will happen to you too, if you let the bastards get away with it.
going off-grid is the only real solution, imho.