The truth about NZs power prices and importation of coal
Just so we are clear, you are all being penalised by a neoliberal Frankenstein experiment in the energy sector that none of you agreed to or wanted…
Damning MBIE Report: Coal Imports Skyrocket, Power Prices Remain High – Greenpeace
MBIE’s latest quarterly energy report, released today, shows electricity prices remain stubbornly high. The report comes amidst a string of manufacturing and mill closures where high energy costs were cited as a key factor for the closures.
The report also shows coal imports increased 650%, from 71.5 kilotonnes in the June 2024 quarter to 539 kilotonnes in the June 2025 quarter as shipments of coal arrived in the country to increase the stockpile for electricity generation.
Greenpeace is accusing the Luxon Government of “completely fumbling the ball on the energy crisis,” pointing to decisions they say have worsened the situation:
- Cancelling the NZ Battery project,
- Scrapping the Decarbonising Industry fund,
- Fast-tracking seabed mining, which has driven away offshore wind developers
- Continued inaction on profiteering by the big four power gentailers.
Greenpeace campaigner Gen Toop says: “This Government has fumbled the ball on the energy crisis, and now New Zealanders, and the climate, are paying the price.
“This Government’s approach is locking in higher costs and more climate pollution. Importing more dirty coal for energy generation is the opposite of what is needed to bring down power prices and climate emissions.
“Solar and wind are the cheapest forms of new electricity. The Government needs to invest in renewables, particularly rooftop solar, to bring costs down and tackle the climate crisis at the same time,” Toop said
…this Government is strangling the common good for their donors interests and we are the ones who pay the price…
Transpower figures show only 986MW of new generation has been committed and financed – far short of the 1,500 GWh they say is needed every year until 2031. Meanwhile, the four gentailers paid out a record $1.37 billion to their shareholders this year while investing less than that in new generation.
“Gentailers make more money when Huntly is burning coal so they have squatted on renewable consents for years without building on them, in order to keep expensive fossil fuels in the system,” said Toop.
…they are playing us for chumps!
“This Government seems more interested in supporting profiteering power companies and outdated extractive industries, than they do in backing cheap renewables which would bring down power prices, ” adds Toop.
“Their Fast Track Act has made the whole situation worse. Seabed mining, currently in the fast track process, has chased offshore wind developers away.
“This Government is hamstrung by its own broken neoliberal ideology. Deregulation and privatisation of the energy sector has skyrocketed power prices, yet they’re still clinging on to their failed free-market experiment.”
…we urgently need to renationalise this free market Frankenstein behemoth.
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Power is overpriced because before we pay for the power we pay million $ salary’s to power co CEO’s then all their minions then the marketing consultants then advertising exec’s and even a bullshit comparing company that doesn’t even list the various prices per kilowatt. Its all just a high paying dole scheme.
Then as you mention monster pay outs to investors. Profits should not be the goal of providing a necessity.
RENATIONALISE THE POWER.
Yeah, no marketing consultants and advertising exec’s required to provide a nationalised public service
No surprises there.All existing consents should be taken by the government tomorrow and handed to people who actually will build the wind and solar farm .Maybe the government could build them them selves instead of sponsoring pop concerts for people who are making millions every month .
Where is Shane Jones ?He should stop importing coal today for goodness sake .There are coal mines within 10 km of the power station that have been operating for 100 years .But apparently that coal mis too good to be used even though it was used for most of the life of the power station .What happened to his dig baby dig mantra and we will create jobs .Looks like some doner is making a few bucks importing shit coal when burning quality coal would be cheaper in the long run .
Maintaining a reliable, affordable, and stable energy supply is essential for a nation’s economic stability, public safety and ability to function.
Therefore, power is a matter of national security. Thus, needs be nationalised and treated as such.
The consensus seems to be that the whole lot needs to go back into public ownership as quickly as possible. There are ways of doing this which do not involve bankrupting the state.
Gen Toops is correct. The importation and burning of coal is part of the corrupt market system which maintains higher electricity prices in order to benefit the generator’s shareholders and disadvantage domestic and light industrial power users.
Good God! We all should be outraged. Off with their heads. Why is it that such flagrant disregard for the public good is tolerated? Its little wonder that some believe democracy is on the brink and refuse to participate in the civic process. But failure to hold power to account is not the solution. I’m beginning to think revolution is the answer.
Bruce and Gordon – well said. I have to ask, how come we have so many GREEDY, GRASPING, HYPOCRITES – no doubt purporting to be Christians? Surely we didn’t breed all of them in our ‘once lovely’ NZ! How do some continue to take and take while those with less are expected to give more and more? I guess it comes down to a decent upbringing and moral fibre, both terribly lacking in much of today’s society. One has to wonder how they sleep at night!
Don’t forget that the majority of the gentiles are 51% government owned. They could reduce electricity prices overnight if they weren’t such a##holes
Right wing governments seem to want to accelerate and embrace environmental and climate catastrophe.
They are driven to make the world into a worse place.