Electricity from renewables hits 83.4%

Electricity generated from renewables exceeded 80% for the fifth consecutive quarter – further pushing the case for EV vehicles.

New Zealand’s share of electricity generated from renewables grew to 83.4% in the June quarter 2016, the latest energy data released by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) shows.

James Hogan, MBIE’s manager of energy and building trends, says the proportion of electricity generated from renewables is up 1.6% from the same quarter last year.

The figures, released in MBIE’s latest New Zealand Energy Quarterly, show that geothermal electricity generation increased 1.3% from the previous June quarter, overtaking the record level set in the March quarter this year.

At the same time, electricity generated from fossil fuels was 10% lower than last year’s June quarter, due to a 12% fall in gas-fired generation.

Total electricity demand for the June quarter 2016 was down 1% from the same time last year.

“Looking ahead for the next quarter, a 0.5% price increase is forecast based on current retail prices,” says Hogan.