The Electricity Retailers’ Association of New Zealand
(ERANZ) welcomes the government’s announced plans to
update its National Policy Statement on renewable
electricity as part of a suite of proposed updates to the
Resource Management Act.
ERANZ agrees with Minister
for Infrastructure Chris Bishop that: “Decision-makers
need clear guidance that renewable energy is vital to our
prosperity. We need billions of dollars of investment in the
coming years in renewable energy supply but it’s too hard
to consent renewable energy projects.”
ERANZ Chief
Executive Bridget Abernethy says, “Our members are
committed to investing the billions of dollars needed to
scale up electricity supply to meet current and future
demand but are still facing barriers to consenting. Even
when consents are granted the process is lengthy and
expensive hampering the effort to deliver the electricity we
need.”
“Our members are doing the heavy lifting,
expecting to invest more than six billion in renewable
energy projects over the next five years.”
But
Abernethy says that is all dependent on timely and
successful resource consent approvals.
“We very much
welcome the Minister’s view that, ‘Decision makers need
clear guidance that renewable energy is vital to our
prosperity.’
“ERANZ also agrees the electricity
sector is facing volatility as it transitions away from
fossil fuels and faces supplies of gas running out far
faster than predicted. A more directive National Policy
Statement on renewable energy should, together with greater
certainty on industry regulations, boost the impetus to
build the generation we need.”
She says removing
impediments to building for an electrified prosperous future
for New Zealand shows laudable pragmatism and ERANZ looks
forward to making a submission on this
plan.
Advertisement – scroll to continue reading
