What of New Zealand Energy Policy?

They want to dam another wild river and understandably, I guess, another set of "they" want to fight it. The same goes for wind turbines, coal fired power stations etc. Well, I don't want to see a wild river dammed, but I"m wondering what we are balancing this up against? If we don't dam this river what are our options for managing our energy needs and who would do this?

It is asking for trouble to keep dealing with electricity supply in this way - on a case by case basis with little thought about how to manage New Zealand's energy needs. It may be for example that we can achieve a great deal by putting solar water heating in all homes in New Zealand or by fostering power saving behaviours, but this is not something the private sector is likely to do without some kind of policy support to drive it. Likewise, if we say no to this power scheme, how do we know whether it is better or worse than the last one. Will we back ourselves into a corner by refusing scheme after scheme until in desperation we get something that we are even more unhappy with because there is no other choice available?

We really need some strong policy process to help New Zealanders think through their options in the longer term and to decide what is overall the best way forward for the country.

C