NZ repeals ban on carbon-fueled power plants

The Associated Press
Published: December 18, 2008

WELLINGTON, New Zealand: New Zealand's new center-right government Thursday abolished a 10-year-old ban on new carbon-fueled power generation, continuing a rollback of laws aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions and fostering sustainable energy.
Green Party lawmakers immediately attacked the move, calling it a retrograde step that rejected one of the easiest means by which New Zealand could reduce output of greenhouse gases.
The National Party-led government, elected in November, has recently repealed or announced it will repeal eco-friendly legislation enacted by its predecessor.
On Wednesday, it repealed a bill requiring oil companies to include a biofuels component in petrol and diesel. It has suspended New Zealand's emissions trading scheme and has said it will overturn legislation aimed at replacing incandescent light bulbs with power-saving alternatives.
Green Party leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said New Zealand's per capita emissions were about five times the global average and urgent measures were needed to reduce them. Power generation contributed 10 percent of the country's emissions and a focus on renewable generation was essential.

"Let's tackle what's easy first. Let's tackle the emissions that you can reduce at virtually no cost and with virtually no other downside," she said.
Fitzsimons said officials had told the previous government a target of 90 percent renewable energy, up from its current 70 percent, could be reached with "negligible cost."
Energy minister Gerry Brownlee said a decline in rainfall in areas used for hydro electrical generation meant coal and gas had produced more than half of New Zealand's electricity over the last few years.
"Without those two fuels, the lights would not stay on," he said.
Modern gas-fired stations gave off few emissions and could run around the clock generating large amounts of electricity, Brownlee said.