Energy
New Zealand Energy
As well as climate change, New Zealanders are experiencing a change in attitude when it comes to electricity generation. Read on to find out about current New Zealand power sources and alternative energy sources, such as wind power and solar power.
New Zealand's main sources of energy are oil and hydro power. Other significant sources of New Zealand energy include coal, gas, geothermal and thermally generated electricity. More and more, we are considering alternative and renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, and even nuclear power generation.
Where are New Zealand's energy resources?
- Oil: New Zealand has basins along its coastlines which are potential sources of petroleum, although the Taranaki basin has been the only source utilised to date.
- Coal: Deposits exist nationwide, with primary mining operations occurring at Westport, Greymouth and Waikato.
- Hydroelectricity: Hydroelectric river catchments are located in both North and South Islands of New Zealand: the Waikato and Waitaki Rivers in the North Island and the Clutha River in the South Island. Hydro power generates around 70% of the country's energy. As it relies heavily on sufficient rainfall and adequate water levels in the hydro storage lakes, power crises can result from times of low rainfall and high demand.
- Geothermal: Systems are located nationwide, but high temperature geothermal fields exist in the Taupo region on the North Island's Central Plateau and Ngawha, in Northland.
What about the environmental impacts of energy use?
The production and use of New Zealand energy has always had an environmental impact. For New Zealand, the consequences have been reduced air quality from home woodburners and vehicles, flooded land from the installation of hydroelectricity stations, and wasted heat from thermal power stations. Not only are there immediate results, there are also long term implications from the use of non-renewable fossil fuels. The issue of climate change is one which the world is being forced to face, with initiatives such as the Kyoto Protocol proving difficult to implement. The New Zealand government views climate change as strategically important to the country's long term future. Their Climate Change site addresses the issues involved in climate change and outlines the government's action plan.
What alternative energy sources are available?
For over 100 years, the world has relied on fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas to meet their energy needs. The burning of fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide and other gases which accumulate in the Earth's atmosphere. The scientific consensus suggests that unless we slow the global warming effect, the world is heading for an environmental disaster. Environmental crusaders such as Greenpeace advocate the adoption of New Zealand renewable energy sources - predominantly wind and solar power - which have less of a negative impact on the environment and are sustainable.
- Wind Power: according to Greenpeace, in 20 years wind power generation will be enough to supply 10% of the world's power needs. In New Zealand, these alternative energy sources are being considered, with major power companies investing in wind generation. There are currently six wind farms in New Zealand, as well as a number of proposals under consideration. Wind turbines generate enough sustainable electricity to provide power to 75,000 households. The main drawbacks in the use of this renewable energy resource are the limited amount of power that can be produced, the cost of building and maintenance, and the noise heard by those living near windfarrms.
- Solar Power: solar power is another viable option, which Greenpeace claims could supply nearly 25% of global electricity needs by 2040. Solar power is a clean method of energy production requiring solar panels which simply convert sunlight into energy suitable for human uses. The solar panels themselves, though, must be maintained regularly and have only a 40% efficiency rate.
- Nuclear Power: the issue of nuclear power generation is a growing debate in New Zealand. Groups opposed to the move claim that nuclear energy can never be clean, as it involves waste products and the release of radiation into the environment. However, nuclear power has become an essential global energy source, supplying around one fifth of the world's electricity.
How can we save power?
As populations and economies grow, industrial, commercial and consumer energy demands are increasing. The issue of New Zealand energy conservation is gaining momentum as electricity demand becomes difficult to meet. New Zealanders are encouraged to save power in their homes and at work, to reduce the country's energy consumption, lower their power bills and help lessen the environmental impact. For homeowners, it's a good idea to focus on savings in water and space heating, as these make up about half or three-quarters of household energy use. For businesses, they can enlist an energy consultant to carry out an energy audit, which will highlight areas for energy saving improvements.
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Technology images from Flickr: Electricity Pylons, Microchip and Cable.
