When We Needed Electricity, it Was Shut Off
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1:49 pm, August 10th, 2021 - 104 comments
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Minister Woods and Prime Minister Ardern have been reduced to asking a series of questions about why Transpower got major electricity providers to drastically cut power last night.
As storms go it wasn’t a major. The cold snap was easily forecast in the www.metvuw.co.nz 10 day forecast, and by NIWA, and by www.metservice.co.nz in its 3 day forecasts.
Both of them have today been reduced to asking questions and saying what what public communication was and wasn’t “acceptable”:
Unlike all the electricity crises since 1992, this one was driven by not enough peak supply. With more post-tropical lows powering up the southerly cycles in winter, this event sure won’t be the last time major cold snaps hit. Just a tiny momentary squeeze on our oxygen tube.
Nor are they historically uncommon.
As well as those that hit Otago, my father-in-law used to recount the 1939 one that stopped the Kingston Flyer in its tracks somewhere near Garfield.
We have very little direct democratic control over our electricity network. I don’t mean the privatised or semi-privatised bits. I mean the core Transpower network, regulated by the Electricity Authority.
Unlike Waka Kotahi NZTA, which sends out traffic network and crash warnings every day of the week and across the country, Transpower isn’t built for that. It appears it’s also not built for briefing or warning its relevant Ministers in time either.
Transpower’s GM Operations Dr Stephen Jay says that another outage could occur if this demand keeps up.
If we are to decarbonise our country, the electricity network has to be regarded and has to communicate at the same frequency and cut-through as the road network agencies do now. New Zealand will be shifting our entire transport reliance onto the electricity network within a decade. That is serious vulnerability.
After the 2018 storm in which most of western Auckland was cut off for weeks, there was a report. Nothing happened.
Yesterday the Minister of Climate Change came out with a statement saying “Right now, Ministers and agencies are discussing what action they will take to bring down emissions in their sector, which will form the basis of our forthcoming Emissions Reduction Plan. We must use this chance to review progress and make sure the actions we are committing to will cut emissions in line with what the latest science requires.”
This government has at every step encouraged us to rely more and more on electricity as our primary energy source. So a failure of supply is a direct rebuke to that effort.
Transpower themselves consistently promote themselves as our key agency of decarbonisation.
So last night New Zealanders did what all their flats have been fitted out for in winter, and turned their heat pumps on because it was cold. If there is another major outage, the smashing of competing policy waves is going to get louder and higher. It took out about half of New Zealand’s population. None were warned.
Redoubtable energy commentator Molly Melhuish sets out what the government agencies should have done here, such as communicate to the actual people affected.
There will be another report of course. Maybe even a Cabinet paper for noting. Someone will mumble about the electricity price review. MBIE apparently will do a bit more coordinating. It’s simply no substitute for structural integration that forces electricity to be generated and sent where and when it needs.
Minister Woods has been asking similar questions for months. In April she said to an electricity conference that “I want to be assured that the current level of wholesale prices is commensurate with the level of scarcity in the market and the risk of a shortage later this year … and I want to know what, if anything, might be done to moderate wholesale prices without risking the risk of power shortages.”
Questions without adequate answers, months in advance. The shortages came, and no one was warned. Kinleith and Glenbrook are at risk of closure, and Norska Skog Nelson has just shut down.
So neither supply security nor price spikes are a surprise, or a short term thing.
Someone in government is going to have to reconcile James Shaw’s lofty demands with the practicalities of security of supply as set out in legislation for the Electricity Authority.
We have a major issue with electricity security in New Zealand, one which flies right in the face of our climate change response, affects every single household, many of our largest employers, and in future affects every single land transport passenger and driver.
Government, here this: electricity consumers and power companies alike are fed up with your ‘questions’.
The point of government is to generate answers. Answer, or those who were cold will remember and vote you out.
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- Missed opportunity but NZ will surely one day recognise the right to a sustainable environmentNew Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...1 week ago
- Release: Don’t cut our lunches – clear message sent to GovernmentTens of thousands of people are demanding the Government commits to fully funding free and healthy school lunches. ...1 week ago
- Release: Govt makes U-turn on Suicide Prevention OfficeLabour welcomes the Government’s U-turn on the closure of the Suicide Prevention Office, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...1 week ago
- CCC issues warning over further climate delayToday’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...2 weeks ago
- Luxon targets are lousy example of leadershipIf talk is cheap, Chris Luxon’s “targets” are bankrupt. ...2 weeks ago
- Luxon targets lame and lousy example of leadershipIf talk is cheap, Chris Luxon’s “targets” are bankrupt. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Commitment to disability communities missing from Govt prioritiesMinister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...2 weeks ago
- Methane target review is dangerous duplicationThe Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Government must commit to school building project for disabled studentsThe Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: National must take mental health seriouslyMental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...2 weeks ago
- Referendums for Māori wards a racist step backwardsThe Government's imposed referendum on Māori wards is a racist step backwards for Māori representation, and disregards Te Tiriti o Waitangi. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Job losses at Health not worth it for tax cutsNew Zealand will feel the harm of the National Government’s reckless cuts to jobs at the health ministry for generations, says Ayesha Verrall. ...2 weeks ago
- Press release: No Māori initiatives in Government’s nothing planMāori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...2 weeks ago
- Thirty six point PR spinThe Government’s ‘36 point’ plan for the next three months is as pointless as it is hollow. ...3 weeks ago
- Thirty six point PR spinThe Government’s ‘36 point’ plan for the next three months is as pointless as it is hollow. ...3 weeks ago
- Thirty six point PR spinThe Government’s ‘36 point’ plan for the next three months is as pointless as it is hollow. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Social housing off Government’s to-do listThe Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Less money in most people’s pockets this AprilChanges to minimum wage and benefit indexation means many New Zealanders will get less this year, as the Government gives a big tax break to landlords instead. ...3 weeks ago
- $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...9 hours ago - Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder listThe Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...11 hours ago
- Judicial appointments announcedAttorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...12 hours ago
- Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in SingaporeEducation Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...13 hours ago
- Value of stopbank project proven during cycloneA stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...13 hours ago
- Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visitForeign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...13 hours ago
- Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac DayScience, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...16 hours ago
- Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the PhilippinesPrime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...1 day ago
- Government commits $20m to Westport flood protectionThe Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...1 day ago
- Taupō takes pole positionThe Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...1 day ago
- Cost of living support for low-income homeownersLocal Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...1 day ago
- Government backing mussel spat projectThe Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...2 days ago
- Government focused on getting people into workBenefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...2 days ago
- Clean energy key driver to reducing emissionsThe Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...2 days ago
- Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forwardThe Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...2 days ago
- Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic PartnershipPrime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...2 days ago
- Government consults on extending coastal permits for portsRMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...3 days ago
- Inflation coming down, but more work to doToday’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...3 days ago
- School attendance restored as a priority in health adviceRefreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...3 days ago
- Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sectorOceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...3 days ago
- Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International CongressAssociate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...4 days ago
- Removing red tape to help early learners thriveThe Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...4 days ago
- RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tapeChanges to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...4 days ago
- McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationshipTrade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...4 days ago
- Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister LeePrime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...4 days ago
- PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ tiesPrime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...4 days ago
- Antarctica New Zealand Board appointmentsForeign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...4 days ago
- Finance Minister travels to Washington DCFinance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...4 days ago
- Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlordsThe coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...4 days ago
- Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being consideredState Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...5 days ago
- New Zealand condemns Iranian strikesPrime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...5 days ago
- Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plansHundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...1 week ago
- Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand ChairHealth Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...1 week ago
- Roads of National Significance planning underwayThe NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...1 week ago
- Navigating an unstable global environmentNew Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...1 week ago
- NZ welcomes Australian Governor-GeneralPrime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...1 week ago
- Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for WinterAssociate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...1 week ago
- NZ and the US: an ever closer partnershipNew Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...1 week ago
- Joint US and NZ declarationApril 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...1 week ago
- NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperationForeign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research. “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...1 week ago
- Rousing farewell for Kiwi doctors flying out to Gaza aid flotilla
Kia Ora Gaza A passionate haka reverberated through Auckland International Airport as a medical team of three New Zealand doctors received an emotional farewell from a big crowd of supporters before flying to Turkey to join the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The doctors, who left Auckland yesterday, hope to ...3 hours ago - Communities Against The Fast-track Heartened By ‘Overwhelming’ Public Response; Disgusted By ‘...
With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...5 hours ago - Renters Rights To Drastically Reduce Under Landlord GovernmentThe Government’s announced changes around tenancy rules set renters’ rights back by nearly a decade. ...5 hours ago
- NZPI Submission on Fast Track Approvals BillOur response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...5 hours ago
- Fast Track Invite List Includes Most Destructive Industries In New ZealandThe new ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill’ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...5 hours ago
- Eugene Doyle: Helen Clark on why AUKUS isn’t in New Zealand’s national interestCOMMENTARY: By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...5 hours ago
- Government releases list of organisations shoulder-tapped for fast-track consents
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...6 hours ago - The Week in Politics: Job cuts surge and Waitangi Tribunal troubleAnalysis - It's been a grim week for public servants, while trouble is also brewing between the government and Waitangi Tribunal. ...7 hours ago
- It never rains but it pours: intense rain and flash floods have increased inland in eastern Australi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australia’s flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But that’s changing. Now ...8 hours ago
- Watch: Christopher Luxon speaks to media in ManilaThe PM has defended how he's talked up NZ trade on his trip to Southeast Asia, after criticism from his own delegation. ...8 hours ago
- ‘It could be the death of the museum’: why research cuts at a South Australian institution have ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum “re-imagined” itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...8 hours ago
- Government signs off $41m clean energy deal with Asian Development BankThe government has committed $41 million to clean energy transition at the Asian Development Bank's Energy Transition Mechanism. ...8 hours ago
- Are 2 mid-career AFL retirements a sign Australian athletes are taking brain health more seriously?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, ...10 hours ago
- Luxon: Waitangi Tribunal comments from coalition parties 'ill considered'Comments from ACT and NZ First ministers about the Tribunal were "ill considered" and "that message will be underscored" to them, the PM says. ...10 hours ago
- Mental Health Foundation Facing Staff Cuts From Govt Funding SqueezeThe Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...11 hours ago
- I wholeheartedly recommend The President: a brilliant revival of a play of decay, terror and revulsi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhard’s rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...11 hours ago
- How the coolest little capital is shrinkingIt's not the first time a government has targeted public servants for job cuts, but this time Wellington is really feeling it. ...11 hours ago
- Many prisoners go years without touching a smartphone. It means they struggle to navigate life on th...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...11 hours ago
- Ministers accused of Cabinet Manual breach with threats to Waitangi Tribunal
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...11 hours ago - Good news: midlife health is about more than a waist measurement. Here’s whySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project You’re not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...11 hours ago
- The Friday Poem: ‘Mitochondrial Problem’ by Evangeline Riddiford Graham
A new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesn’t fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...11 hours ago - The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending April 18The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND 1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38) Hot off the press, this debut ...11 hours ago
- Department of Conservation closing Dunedin centre, but no jobs lostVisitor habits are changing and DOC needs to adapt in a financially sustainable way, its operations director says. ...11 hours ago
- Unions Collaborate With Thousands Of Job CutsWith New Zealand officially in recession, a swathe of mass sackings is currently sending shockwaves through the entire working class. ...12 hours ago
- Watch live: Christopher Luxon speaks to media in ManilaPrime Minister Christopher Luxon is speaking to reporters in Manila after pledging greater defence cooperation with the Philippines. Watch live. ...12 hours ago
- Government sent please explain letter to Wellington City Council over transport disagreementThe contents were revealed in correspondence from Simeon Brown and Chris Bishop to Wellington's Mayor. ...12 hours ago
- Some families push back against journalists who mine social media for photos – they have every rig...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was murdered in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without ...12 hours ago
- Mental Health Foundation staff cuts loom, with funding falling behind rising costsChief executive Shaun Robinson said it has not had any government funding cut, but government-funded contracts have not kept pace with rising costs. ...12 hours ago
- The ‘devil comet’ 12P/Pons-Brooks has finally become visible from Australia. What can we expect?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland Pons–Brooks visible from Utah, March 9 2024. James Peirce/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND If you’re a fan of all things space, you’ve doubtless heard about the “devil comet”, which has been captivating keen-eyed observers in the ...13 hours ago
- Rugby stadiums are sold as an economic asset – but NZ needs to ask if they’re really worth itSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Hamlin, Senior Lecturer in Marketing , University of Otago A multi-billion dollar stadium precinct has been proposed for Auckland, one of three proposals in front of Auckland Council for a new stadium in the city. The council is also considering revamping ...13 hours ago
- Auckland dog attacks: Callouts for attacks on other animals going upRoaming dogs are responsible for more than a thousand attacks on animals each year, and the number is growing. ...13 hours ago
- What access to puberty blockers means for trans young people and their whānauThe Ministry of Health has delayed the release of its evidence brief on the safety, reversibility and mental health and wellbeing outcomes for puberty blockers. While we wait, Julia de Bres speaks to those with firsthand experience. Best practice gender-affirming healthcare is based on trans people’s self-determination and agency. The ...13 hours ago
- NZ and Philippines pledge defence cooperation amid rising tensionsThe commitment came after a sit-down meeting between Christopher Luxon and President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr overnight. ...15 hours ago
- How superblocks can help reimagine city lifeBarcelona’s city streets have gone from traffic-clogged to pedestrian-friendly. How? Superblocks. Ellen Rykers explains. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week I read a great interview with renowned urbanist Janette Sadik-Khan by The Spinoff’s Wellington editor Joel MacManus: “You can reimagine streets, ...15 hours ago
- Fire engineering expertise may take a big hit with job cuts at MBIEThe public sector cuts are poised to take out a big chunk of expertise at the country's building regulator. ...15 hours ago
- “Fast-track Law To Kill Kiwi”: Students Say Fight Against Anti-democracy Legislation Is Only Jus...Student groups ‘Climate Action VUW’, Schools Strike 4 Climate and VUWSA will be on the street in Wellington today, the last day for submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, with a message that the fight against the Government’s ‘War on ...16 hours ago
- ‘We have thousands of Modis’: the secret behind the BJP’s enduring success in IndiaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sofia Ammassari, Research Fellow, Griffith University Since 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity has grown exponentially – and so has the formidable organisational machine of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These two factors will be key to delivering the BJP a ...16 hours ago
- Online schooling is not just for lockdowns. Could it work for your child?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon Hyndman, Associate Professor of Education (Adjunct) & Senior Manager (BCE), Charles Sturt University During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone ...16 hours ago
- Hear me out: You can shove your reusable period productsYes, they’re better for the environment. No, that’s not a good enough reason for me to use them. Once every 26 days or so, my period arrives, and if struck by an act of God, I am caught red-crotched without products. How, after 17 years of this, do I still ...16 hours ago
- Rip It Up And Start Over – Fast-Track Approvals Bill Needs To Be Scrapped“It will cause significant harm to our environment and communities. It is completely at odds with New Zealanders’ relationship with nature and our need for a low-carbon, sustainable economic future." ...16 hours ago
- Maori Authority Warns Government On Fast Track LegislationThe Chair of the National Maori Authority, Matthew Tukaki, has warned a Parliamentary Select Committee that fast-tracking legislation is a perilous practice that undermines the core tenets of democracy, transparency, and accountability. ...17 hours ago
- Why the government’s haste in changing the health system could come back to haunt itSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Tenbensel, Associate Professor, Health Policy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Since coming into power, the coalition government has adopted a simple but shrewd see-how-fast-we-can-move political strategy. However, in the health sector this need for speed entails ...17 hours ago
- Many suicides are related to gambling. How can we tackle this problem?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Hronis, Clinical Psychologist, University of Technology Sydney Darya Sannikova/Pexels Whether you’re watching TV, attending a footy game, or eating a meal at your local pub, gambling is hard to escape. Although the rise of gambling is not unique to Australia, ...17 hours ago
- Things that go buzz in the night – our global study found there really are more insects out after ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Wong, Forrest Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia Have you ever wondered if there are more insects out at night than during the day? We set out to answer this question by combing through the scientific ...17 hours ago
- Why don’t Australians talk about their salaries? Pay transparency and fairness go hand-in-handSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carol T Kulik, Research Professor, University of South Australia IR Stone/Shutterstock In Australia, it’s not the done thing to know – let alone ask – what our colleagues are paid. Yet, it’s easy to see how pay transparency can make pay ...17 hours ago
- ‘Character’ And Its Impact On Immigration StatusThe Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is sounding a warning to migrants, that running foul of the law may see them leaving the country prematurely. ...17 hours ago
- 20,000 more on jobseeker benefits than this time last yearThe government’s plan to get 50,000 people off jobseeker support by 2030 has had a rocky start, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Beneficiary numbers are up – and so are ...18 hours ago
- All of the Raglan Roast cafes in Wellington, ranked from worst to bestRaglan Roast is a staple of Wellington coffee culture. But with five branches across the capital, which one is the best? I am a die-hard Raglan Roast fan. It’s consistently the most affordable cafe in Wellington, and one of the only places you can get a coffee after 3pm. So, ...20 hours ago
- Auckland uni students threaten rent strike over rising accommodation feesResidents of University of Auckland halls are being urged to withhold their accommodation fees from May 1, in a bid to force the university to take student concerns over rent hikes seriously. The University of Auckland is facing a strike from students over the cost of on-campus accommodation. The Students ...20 hours ago
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Wind power in North Island is currently 15% of its capacity.
Theres your culprit right there.
Geothermal is 88%, Hydro is 40% etc. Thats North Island only South Island Hydro is 67%
When the evening peak happens again tonight Geothermal, hydro, coal will all be able to ramp up to even higher %
Wind will be only minor change
One of the big issues with wind generation right now in New Zealand is it's so concentrated around Palmerston North.
There's 950ishMW of installed wind capacity in New Zealand, not all of it commissioned and generating yet. 433MW of that is within 10ish km of Palmerston North, 336MW is within 130ish km of Palmerston North, either in Wellington (203MW) or south Taranaki (133MW).
The only wind generation a reasonable distance away from balmy Palmie that's not more or less in the same weather is 58MW in Southland and 64MW at Te Uku in Waikato.
This wouldn't be a problem if the weather there was like it was when I grew up there and it blew a howling fkn gale every fkn single fkn day for fifteen fkn years, but it seems they get a few nice days every now then these days.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_power_stations_in_New_Zealand
Wind is so intermittent and uneven it's never going to be a replacement for Huntly.
We need peaking storage capacity around the centre of the North Island – somewhere between Tokaanu and Palmy would be useful.
I suspect that's one of the proposals being evaluated against the Roxburgh Onslow Battery.
There's been a few sites talked about around Moawhango Lake.
I'd be astonished if there weren't at least a few sites suitable for pumped hydro around Lake Taupo and down the Waikato, even though my geotech bro reckons most of the soils are unsuitable for dams because of susceptibility to piping. There's already that tiny hydro at Kuratau – it may be possible to increase the reservoir and turn it into pumped.
NZ Wind farms operating and under construction
The Average generating capacity of NZ wind farms is around 40%
More like 25- 34% . The higher numbers come from a fudge factor accounting from using an average wind speed in location rather than if it could run all the time at max output.
Thats how other generators work.
You have some evidence to substantiate that claim?
Current 'market' incentivises building nothing until you absolutely have to.
https://twitter.com/timjonesbooks/status/1424666273783238657
and
https://twitter.com/timjonesbooks/status/1424833032704253952
Indeed.
That there's been a Tiwai Point shutdown and 600ishMW baseload hanging to drop on the market at six months notice is also a very strong disincentive to invest in new supply.
But to get that missing 200MW last night when wind was delivering 10% of its rated capacity ( I looked it up at the time I heard about power cuts) would mean having 2000MW rated capacity wind farms.
We need wind co-located with hydro – then add more hydro generating capacity, let the lakes fill when the wind blows and empty faster when it doesn't – this is cheaper, more efficient and doesn't flood more valleys than pumped hydro
you have just described pumped hydro
No, this is like pumped hydro without the pumps, and the extra lake.
Also the pumping operation is not 100% efficient unlike just letting the lake fill.
The one downside is that you have to tolerate a wider range of lake levels in the existing lake, but it's likely a lower range than using just an existing storage lake
The reverse happens. At nights when wind is consistent and demand is low , power flows from North to South as the hydro is wound down and its wind keeping the overnight demand. Its not quiet pumped storage but its storage none the less.
Your description falls down as the wind rarely is generating at the 60% of its capacity in the off peak period. Central North island where its windiest, on average can get to 25-30% of rated capacity, but the future of EVs etc is going to want dibs on that in next 10 years long before any pumped storage unit opens
It is similar I'm proposing that we put the wind NEXT to the hydro, and share the transmission infrastructure and not incur extra losses across the strait.
First step to handling future energy needs is to shut down Tiwai (the smelter is responsible for 1% of our CO2 emissions anyway, from the carbon anodes they burn in the smelting process), putting that power onto the national grid (needs a tie line from Roxburgh to Benmore) should be a priority, we shouldn't blow that energy on a green hydrogen boondoggle that effectively results in us exporting that energy
It solves nothing….the storage in the existing lakes is insufficient, even with the current rainfall patterns….you can use wind as much as possible to supplement hydro but as we know the consistency and output is insufficient to replace hydro so if we want a secure supply we need more storage ( a battery) and pumped hydro is the largest and most efficient battery available.
It's not really the storage, more you need to be able to tolerate a wider range of operating levels so you have the room to run things up and down again (you have to do this even more for bespoke pumped hydro systems) – I'd rather we don't ruin more of our valleys, I cry inside every time I drive up what was once Cromwell Gorge, let's just change the way we use the ones we've already ruined, remember:
Way back up in Cromwe-ell gorge,
Tons of concrete they will forge.
All our farmland they will drown,
Right back up to Albert Town.
Dam the Wilkins, flood the Reece!
Will their planning never cease?
We must learn where danger lurks:
Vandals of the public works.
(to the tune of God Defend NZ)
Then we will have to learn to live with (even) less energy…..what was the response to some hours of electricity loss for a few thousand households outside of usual production hours a week ago?
Is geothermal a major carbon emitter?
Depends on its water source and the exact heat extraction technology used. Some of them are as near as dammit zero, some of them are significant emitters. But even the worst geothermal is lower emissions than the best gas-fired power generation.
https://theconversation.com/climate-explained-why-does-geothermal-electricity-count-as-renewable-143433
And our own ones?
That The Conversation piece reckons NZ ones range from 22g CO2eq/kWhr up to to 340g CO2eq/kWhr. It didn't get specific about which stations are low or high emitters.
For comparison, gas-fired at best is about 390 g CO2eq/kWhr and goes up from there, coal is 850ish and goes up, Wind, PV and concentrated solar thermal are in the range of 5 to 20ish IIRC, hydro 7 to 2200ish (low figure is earth dams that drown desert areas, or run of the river schemes, high figure is concrete dams that drown forest areas with rich deep soils that then emit lots of methane)
electricityMap can show the carbon intensity of different sources.
You will probably need to select NZ from the list of countries & then select the North Island from the map (for me NZ automatically shows but I suspect that's because of a cookie having been set from previous visits).
Once you've clicked on North Island a box will appear showing the various sources. Hover the cursor over each source & a range of information will show. The carbon intensities are;
Wind 11g CO2eq/kWh
Hydro 24g CO2eq/kWh
Geothermal 38g CO2eq/kWh
Nat Gas 490g CO2eq/kWh
Coal 820g CO2eq/kWh
We don't have anything significant but solar is 45g CO2eq/kWh
Each of those figures is shown as "Source IPCC 2014". A while ago I went looking and iirc the figures are derived from a research paper referenced in one of the earlier IPCC reports. They are global averages and take into account the embodied energy in building each source, as well as the ongoing fuel component. In the case of geothermal there is CO2 released from underground.
Scrolling down in the popup box will show more information such as sources in the last 24 hours.
Thanks for the link. It opened to NZ for me on first visit, so maybe it goes by IP address or ISP.
Notably, France, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland are all lower emissions than us right now and even pommyland is only a tiny bit worse.
By definition, geothermal power generation is not without some significant risk of catastrophic failure.
Answer, or those who were cold will remember and vote you out? Of course.
No answers will suffice though. Megan Woods and the PM will be blamed. In October 2017 when they went into Government what should Ardern et al done to prevent what happened last night?
Garston. A photo in the Garston pub showed the engine stuck in a snow drift about 2m deep, I think the train was about half way between there and Kingston.
Correction appreciated.
Good to see the PM wading in a bit more, but if Transpower get close to another trigger tonight, there will be hell to pay.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/overnight-power-outages-not-good-enough-ardern
The PM was quizzed on the outage at Question Time in the House. She gave the times of the day when warnings were given as to the progress of the power situation. She was very strong to say that the problem came not from the ability to supply enough power but commercial decisions as to how to react to predicted shortages.
https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/combined/HansDeb_20210810_20210810_20 This is the video of question 2 and answers from Judith Collins to the PM. 1.28 and following.
I don't think her offload onto the generators is sufficient.
Excuses when you are freezing just suck.
Also, the government remains the 51% shareholder of the big generators, so they could have picked up the phone themselves. And of course there's always the Letter of Expectation to all of them. And notes to the Stock Exchange. And to the EA. And the government organising the generators and EA and Transpower into managed talks every Autumn.
No you cant pick up phone when it comes to a 51% control of listed on stock market company. Even the Board wouldnt be ringing some one up.
Just last week Little was saying how difficult it was getting DHBs to follow government policy as they see themselves as little silos and will do it their way. That was specifically in relation to mental funding for new facilities ( One DHB hasnt even got a site) and the extra funding for 2000 extra nurses, some used the money to pay overtime and agency nurses. Thats why they are getting their 'executive heads cut off'
Plenty of those kinds of calls get made across Wellington every day.
Andrew Little, by letting DHB's run regional vaccinations, has essentially stalled his own reforms.
Agree generally that Ministers need greater powers in the electricity market. And there are waaay too many layers, and and and …
…But operating what levers they have instead of apologising and offloading would be a great start.
Thats wishful thinking. Its a highly technical area which has computers to run all the possibilities and which when parameters are exceeded for some HV powerline or a plant it will be cut off by the software.
"Gale force winds earlier in the day at Tokaanu pushed weed into the intake, and then a sudden decline in wind in the evening affected central North Island wind generation.'
The 3rd Huntly boiler or 'Rankine' as its cutely called takes many hours to start up, so wasnt on standby at all.
Like I said Wind is the culprit as forecasts cant always predict the time for a drop in winds . Increases can be managed as some turbines can be braked.
How many hours is needed to fire up the third boiler? as the PM mentioned the first advice about supply issues was hours before.
She said in the House, "What we've presented here are simply the facts. As you will have heard, at 6.43 a.m., Transpower issued a low residual notice to participants. At 1.02 p.m., Transpower issued a warning that there was insufficient generation offers for the evening peak. Another warning was issued at 5.07 p.m. At 6.40 p.m., Transpower issued a request for network companies in direct grid connections to then shed 1 percent. As I've said, despite all of those warnings, we had an issue where the Rankine at Huntly was not—was not—fired up. Clearly, we had capacity that was not utilised, despite Transpower's requests."
Genesis guy on RNZ Checkpoint said 6-10 hours. Yesterday people were saying 3.
Interesting interview. Will be listed here when they load tonight's episode: https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/20210810
Interview (5 mins): https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018807653/no-system-is-perfect-transpower-explains-power-outages
'Rankine' as its cutely called
Err, no it's not named Rankine. It's called a Rankine-cycle boiler because of thermodynamic cycle used to transfer the heat to the turbines. All four of the original Huntly units were Rankine cycle units, able to burn either gas or coal. But since they're such low efficiency compared to combined cycle units, it's kind of a waste to burn gas in them.
Ministers aren't going to take over the spot market or the Transpower control rooms.
You're misunderstanding operational from governance roles.
Backwards. Can only reach everyone locally through the current agencies when they have not been replaced yet. The Ministry had enough trouble getting just the booking system done. They still have a pandemic to manage. The separate 'transformation unit' in DPMC is continuing work on the big system changes.
I think she has been mis-informed. The hydro, geothermal and gas etc have to have reserve power on standby , ie not delivery to compensate for an unexpected event like a major power line or generator tripping.
About 3-4 weeks ago Huntly itself 'tripped out' and that was something like 400MW gone in an instant . Luckily it was 5:30 in the morning. Would have been some not so hot showers that morning as system adjusted.
Good small-picture summary:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/126023114/power-cuts-what-went-wrong-and-is-it-over
There will be more commentary coming.
Hanging on by our fingernails by a third coal turbine is not the security we need here.
Sunday 15th through 17th also look pretty damn cold.
https://www.metvuw.com/forecast/forecast.php?type=rain®ion=nz&noofdays=10
Every hour of every day is 'hanging by the fingernails' as power MUST be generated the instant its used.
There is no queue of power waiting somewhere. Mercury Energy had its own gas turbine peak plant in suburbs of Auckland closed a few years ago as it wasnt being used enough. And that was designed to come on quickly morning and night only.
There really is a queue of power waiting somewhere. That latent power is in our dams, in loads of coal, in turbines ready to go, summarised here:
https://www.mbie.govt.nz/building-and-energy/energy-and-natural-resources/energy-statistics-and-modelling/energy-statistics/electricity-statistics/
also in gas peak plants:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/122193925/100m-natural-gasfired-power-plant-in-operation
A very well reasoned and argue piece Ad. Thanks for putting this up.
Large scale storage is necessary, be it batteries or pumped hydro or something else. Fines should be introduced for supply breakdowns that would be higher than the cost of building storage facilities, or the government should get into competition with the suppliers by building storage. This event puts a lie to the neoliberal argument that privatisation increases efficiency. Where have we seen that before?
Large scale storage in the right place ie where most of the population's demand is: from Taupo north.
batteries ? I dont think so.
The mega scale battery farm just outside Melbourne that caught fire the day it was turned on can only supply less than 10% of its capacity as grid feed in.
Its prime purpose is standby reserve to maintain stability of the Victoria power system with frequency, power factor and all those esoteric AC grid terms. Its like an emergency standby which could happen at any time , not to boost peak supply at all.
Well done all the above from people that know what they are talking about in specific aspects of power supply.
As a generalist, on this issue anyway, I maintain like a stuck Record,/CD/mp3, that power generation and supply needs to be returned to full public ownership and control as part of the solution to NZ’s energy needs.
In the meantime before some government wipes out our sharemarket by nationalising every electricity generator and electricity distributor, it would be useful if the relevant Ministers figured out how to operate the existing levers of power they have already available to make the system work better.
Heh, really…generations of New Zealand workers and tax payers physically built our power infrastructure which was grasped by the artificial power retail market that Maurice Williamson first fronted. It has never delivered for working class NZers. Time to admit it and move on.
Max Bradford.
heh, true dat!
I agree with that. But that's literally cold comfort when it's freezing. Nor is it a guarantee that the state controlled alternative would function any better now.
"how to operate the existing levers of power they have already available"
There is no levers of power, just wishing it is so doesnt make it true
They werent there when it was a NZED monolith either. At most they could get the annual power price increase changed in election year
I understand the first that Meghan Woods knew that rolling cuts were occurring was when One News called her office.
No chance of those mythical levers being worked at all. Even the through the roof spot prices that day should have been a warning to power companies move their own levers.
They didnt. Even Transpower fumbled the ball asking for bigger cuts than needed, some 'error' they say.
Wipe out (though the NZX is doing that pretty well on its own)?….the capital value of the generators is around 35 billion (NZX is 185 billion)….and half of that is gov owned…..17 billion of that 40 sitting at the RBNZ will compensate the private shareholders.
Tell me how that would work.
And how much capital would be left in New Zealand as a result.
All of us that hold shares in the generators could go and buy houses when the government buys them back!
Too late we've got them all.
You could…if you thought that was a wise decision….personally I think you would be foolish to do so.
How much capital would be left?….the real capital (the assets) would 100% remain….and under control of the Gov….some NZD will likely be converted, how much I couldnt say, but that is no concern as it is overvalued anyway
Y'know, I don't recall the 70s and 80s as being times of awesomely reliable and dependable electricity supply either. So I have my doubts about nationalisation being any kind of cure for for preventing what happened yesterday. The causes and motivations behind failures might be different, but there will still be failures.
It's like answering "Jesus" to every question asked in Sunday School.
Replace Jesus with The State: Relax: everything is done for you.
Transport: Jesus! Housing: Jesus! Health: Jesus! Welfare: Jesus! Climate: OYesJesusJesusJesus!
And the more crises pile upon crises, the more the overweening state is supposed to save us.
Here we are with the most interventionist state we've had in 50 years, and the results are actually pretty mediocre.
the most interventionist state we've had in 50 years
Universities are still trying to fit the round peg of learning into the square hole of a "user pays" fiction. The state managed that less than 50 years ago without a thought.
We are very far from the 'most interventionist' we've been – though its attractiveness an an excuse to do nothing naturally appeals to the lazy babies of neoliberalism, for whom a competent joined up response to anything invariably looks like too much work. That's the job though – not making excuses.
This government is well and truly in the Muldoon camp. Doesn't mean it's coherent.
It dropped over $30b in a year just to keep us employed. Who has done anything on that scale since Fraser?
As for the tertiary sector, it nationalised all the polytechs and directed courses and apprenticeships through them – inside 2 years.
well and truly in the Muldoon camp
Good. Palmer was utterly wrong that doing nothing was a virtue.
Shame none of the subsequent governments understood their job instead of running the Goodbye Porkpie economy – selling bits off to pay for cheap thrills like tax cuts instead of the kind of assiduous long term planning that characterized the Tiger Economies.
Incoherent I grant you – parties haven't governed for decades – the lazy babies thought they didn't need to. Left it all to MBIE or the like.
We are facing an existential climate crisis. If our electricity grid can't cope now. Then there is no getting around it, we will have to cut back our electricity use to conserve this resource.
This being the case, it is better that we do it in a planned way, instead of running the system until it breaks, risking lives and livelyhoods.
After essential industries, I would prioritise rural and remote areas.
It is time for townies to make some sacrifices, with planned power outages.
So, how could it be done?
Not much of an apology from Genesis.
No. He tried to socialise the failure by saying they all dropped the ball and they couldn't see what each other was doing. WTF, that's the way they want it, isn't it?
Loved the way Megan Woods bluntly said this was a market failure. And it is true.
"Shareholder greed leaves families cold", should be the headline.
Good point. The $300,000 per MWhr and at that price signal was supposed to guarantee supply under economic theory.
It didnt
And now poor old Genesis has been ‘victimized’. Surely another leader with such a bad take would resign?
Not we’re sorry our systems failed and we left people without power. Not sorry we didn’t do what we exist to do. No, instead oh we’re getting bullied!
Emerson's take on it in this morning's Granny
(‘elp mods, entered 500 in width and it didn’t take)
[image resized]
That width box never works for me either. What works for me is just putting the link to the image in the correct box, and not bother with any other boxes, then submit the comment.
Immediately edit the comment, and go to the image ref and add width="500" or width="100%" just before the ending bracket.
So for your cartoon, when you edit your comment there will be something like {img alt="" src="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/DgFDsblahblahblahPQQHCW37J763UU.jpg" }, but with < > brackets instead of the { }.
After you add the width="500" or width="100%", it will look like {img alt="" src="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/DgFDsblahblahblahPQQHCW37J763UU.jpg" width="500"}. The only change is just before the }.
Note that there is a space between …. .jpg" and width="500", but there is no space after the width="500"
Nor the government. Nor the regulator. Nor anyone.
The electricity market is working as designed. The only reason power cuts are not more common is because when they happen, people start asking questions and nobody wants that. Like supermarket prices and petrol prices, we will pay what they ask and moan to ourselves but not do anything, so long as supply continues.
People keep talking about low lake levels, but they are higher than normal for this time of year. Tokaanu power station failed because of lake weed (a known and fixable problem). Wind generation was down, but it is only a small part of the equation.
The reason that Genesis burns coal is not to fill in the gap, but because they can charge more per KwH. When they are the most expensive power all the generators get paid more even if they have much lower costs. There is never any incentive to produce more if it doesn't make the price higher. The only time that power prices drop is when Huntly is completely turned off.
Minister Woods is meeting with Genesis today.
Both will need to come out of that announcing something concrete.
Emerson's cartoon I put up above encapsulates the the problem, the conflict between public utility and profit.
Hopefully this incident will be the fuel Government needs to sort out the mess from the Bradford reforms and the Key sale.
Minister Wood shoulders both housing and energy. That's a fair weight to carry.
I too am hopeful, since she's had enough advice over the term to generate a plan.
Between profit and public, it will be a matter however of shifting the axial point a degree or two in either direction.
Last term they already shunted dumploads of subsidy into them with the Winter Heating Allowance.
I suspect Transpower nor EA to get out of this free either.
Probably all of them in future will get massive fines for grid failure.
And Wood could always focus their minds by dismissing the Boards of Transpower and EA. With them would go the Chief Executives of both. Probably it's either them or her.
Have you seen the members of the Board of Genesis, its like NZ 'neo-lib royalty'
https://www.genesisenergy.co.nz/investors/governance/board-of-directors
It reminds me of Boeing, very heavily weighted towards financial return and none on the supply risk …but of course the security of supply isnt 'their' problem its someone else. The rolling cuts are pushed down to the lines companies to action
We're not going to see much openness to political change if Ardern and Woods keeps offloading blame to the private sector rather than deal with the problem. Both Genesis and now Mercury CE's have already come out with defensive responses today.
We're also unlikely to get big public-majority owned corporates to change if the government doesn't ensure Labour-aligned people get on those Boards.
The levers are much, much harder to operate after the 49% privatisation, but Woods still needs to show she can still operate them.
How is this for concrete?
"Genesis Energy is planning 500 megawatts of grid-scale solar built on existing North Island transmission connections, including Huntly power station.
The generator retailer is finalising a joint venture with international developers to build enough solar over the next five years to generate up to 750 gigawatt-hours of power a year. That’s enough to power 185,0000 electric vehicles a year and Genesis plans to eventually back this up with battery storage as well." Energy News Aug 12
Ah concepts and plans. Good on them and thanks for the citation.
I'll be impressed if they tied this to greater grid supply security.
Without Huntly we would have power cuts in North island every morning and night.
2015 Story when 540MW of peak generation in suburbs of Auckland ( Southdown and Otara )was shutdown
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/285643/margins-narrow-for-north-island-energy-security
Thorstein Veblen in his Theory of Business opines that businessmen spend as much time as they can tripping up their competitors. now that we have a "MARKET" for electricity we can expect more of the same. Competition my backside. It has become screw as much profit as you can and screw the consumer. Just another example of the infantilisation of new zealanders of all classes.
To what extent is the uncertainty of the future of Tiwai point a factor in all of this. It uses thirteen percent of the the countries power generation. If and when it finally closes down the amount of electric power that will become available to the national grid will be massive. Will this not be a factor in the thinking of those planning for future generation.
Yes, the threat of all that power getting unleashed on the market at six months notice has significantly inhibited the development of new generation.
Right now if Tiwai Point got nuked, the grid between Manapouri and the Waitaki basin isn't grunty enough to take all the power that would be freed up. But a grid upgrade is underway, scheduled for completion in 2023. So Meridian will then be free to try to sell that power to other customers, and maybe the current scheduled closure in 2024 will actually happen.
Certainly by then it will only be the jobs that Rio Tinto will be able to use as hostages, a good chunk of Meridian's output and revenue will no longer be captive.
It's very difficult to make investment decisions when the government has extended the life of Tiwai Point with sustained subsidy over many years and the horizon is still 2024.
The Onslow Battery Dam proposal is also just as enormous.
Some commitments are still being made, but mighty price surges also make such big decisions difficult.
Prior to 1990, we had a reliable electricity system which gave us the second cheapest power in the OECD, (after Norway) based on state owned electricity generation & supply. The Bolger Government decided to smash this system & replace it with a profit driven corporatisation model which Key then partially privatised. So today, 30 years on, our electricity system is driven by corporate greed, (not community need, as it was pre 1990).
Instead of pissing around the edges, holding enquiries, etc, we need to renationalise the entire system & operate it, once again, on a non profit basis. This will benefit both domestic & business electricity consumers. Our current electricity system is another example of market failure.
As per my post today, We Are Stuck, what you want is not possible. Wishing won't make it so.
Of course it's possible – Government is sovereign. I don't buy into the mealy mouthed narrative that government can't do anything. Michael Cullen renationalised NZ Rail after private owners proved incompetent. What we did with rail we can do with power.
Agree it is entirely possible….but undesired by a range of interests in a position to impact any decision.
Nixon considered it for oil companies in the late 1970s oil crisis.
Last Western democratic leader to try straight-out nationalisation was Mitterand. Total failure.
https://www.jacobinmag.com/2015/08/francois-mitterrand-socialist-party-common-program-communist-pcf-1981-elections-austerity/
Michael Cullen bought from a willing seller: not a nationalisation in the revolutionary sense you're speaking of.
Bernie Sanders toyed with the idea, using existing the TVA and other public entities.
https://newrepublic.com/article/156713/nationalizing-power-industry-isnt-radical
We have some growth in public ownership by public funds such as ACC and NZSuperfund part ownership of Kiwibank.
But given NZSuper's light rail fuckup I wouldn't trust them.
It's certainly in the histories of Labour and National, US Republican and US Democratic Parties.
The two main problems with renationalising the entire electricity generator system is:
1. There's no idea whether it would do any better than now.
The likelihood that it will be better, starting from right now rather than from Max Bradford's time, is about as reliable as Max Bradford's forecasts. Or indeed Minister Mahuta's forecasts for water cost efficiency once she effectively nationalises water ownership.
2. Capital flight
No one will trust their money here, so off it goes. That's quite big. It reduces the strength of the economy – and of the government as it means a loss of tax revenue. Additionally, rapid capital outflows reduce our purchasing power of citizens, and every business assisting the electricity industry will pull out in the blink of an eye. Then there's a very likely domino effect on the entire sharemarket since the Government will have taken most of the valuable companies right off it: there goes your Kiwisaver.
Funny thing about public v private ownership…..it ignores the fact that the technical expertise is almost invariably the same people.
Two reasons given why its 'impossible'…and neither are.
Ad, your blog is a confused & contradictory justification for maintaining the staus quo in our electricity sector – how could the actions of Nixon & Mitterand be remotely relevant in a post Covid world?
NZ's state owned, non profit electricity system operated successfully for 70 years until 1991, giving us affordable, reliable power. The present, broken system has been in place for only 30 years & is another example of neolib market failure. Do you really think that this broken system is going to meet the government's climate change targets?
Ad, in last year's sea change election, the millenials were half the voting strength & as from 2023, they'll outnumber the boomer voting bloc. Millenials have had a gutsful of being shafted by the crappy neolib policies foisted on them by the boomers & they will increasingly demand radical change right across the economy, driven by strong, pro active government action. Sooner rather than later, the over paid, profit driven incompetents who've screwed up our electricity system will be replaced & the sector will be returned to public ownership.
If such millennials want it, they should start with a remit at the next Green Party conference:
"The Green Party commits to completely renationalising the electricity generators and lines companies"
If that became a manifesto promise we would at least know it has as shot at 9% support.
If you are going to propose a policy that big you must do it through democratic means. And of course it would fail at the Green Party conference even if it were proposed.
Ad, why don't you attend the next Green Party AGM & propose exactly that remit? With good background data & some careful lobbying you might surprise yourself by getting the remit adopted as Green Party policy!
For two reasons: I'm not a Greens supporter, and it's a stupid idea.
You want the policy, you put it up.
Ad, if you think that renationalising the electricity industry is a 'stupid idea' then you're wasting everyone's time by writing for The Standard. You should be contributing to Kiwi Blog – their politics are more to your liking.
Millenials have had a gutsful of being shafted by the crappy neolib policies foisted on them by the boomers
The politicians in the 80's who were promoting the neoliberalism were for the most part born pre-WW2. And the people they got their ideas from were even older.
The vast majority of boomers had nothing much to do with it, most of us were young adults at the time with little to no political awareness, interest or position in the parties. It all pre-dated the internet and the internal machinations of the Muldoon and Lange govts, was by and large opaque to us.
This politicising of the generations, setting one against the other is a crappy game at best.
Red, Baby Boomers are the generation born between 1940 & 1964. The politicians of the 1980's who promoted neo liberalism were all Boomers. Lange, a contempoarary of Douglas, was born in 1942, Prebble in 1948, etc.
All Boomers enjoyed the post war benefits of Keynesian economics & the welfare state, (free tertiary education, full employment with good wages, affordable housing, etc.)
The neo lib policies of Douglas were the failed austerity policies of the 1920's & early 1930's, tarted up for the 1980's. Douglas & his Boomer cronies deliberately dismantled for the next generation, (the Millenials) all the benefits which they themselves had enjoyed & substituted greed driven neo liberalism. That is why they & their legacy are so despised.
As the father of 5 millenials, I don't believe in 'politicising the generations' but I do believe that my children's generation deserve the same benefits that I & all other Boomers enjoyed. Unlike you, I don't try to justify intergenerational theft.
fran wilde sold the wellington MED for a cake tin so the mob could go haywire once a week and pretend they were passionate about something