Wind will be important for NZ’s energy security
It was with interest that I read Mike Houlahan’s opinion piece (ODT, 21.12.24) on the Fast Track Approvals Act and the Offshore Renewable Energy Bill because whilst I naturally have concerns about the former, my view on the latter is one of wholehearted support.
Wind has been the cornerstone of my recent research.
In collaboration with Prof Mar Rubio at the Universidad Public de Navarre in Spain for a project funded by the European Union, Prof Rubio and her colleague Prof Joseba del la Torre have shown that whilst Spain lacks wind as a resource compared to other nations, the promotion of the technology by government and business has led to an extensive wind generation infrastructure and created companies competing to build wind infrastructure across the globe.
My contribution concerns New Zealand. We are indeed a sorry state.
A strong member of the windiest countries in the world club, our nation languishes near the bottom of the table for wind generation amongst developed nations. Whilst an ideology of a hydrogen-powered future has taken hold as yet another Next Big Thing For New Zealand, we lack the electrical generation to take advantage of this resources and will, no doubt, import ‘‘blue’’ hydrogen made from natural gas coming with only a promise the vast amounts of CO2 created will indeed be captured and stored. Wind will more importantly contribute to energy security. On strong wind days the flow from our reservoirs will be reduced to a trickle saving the majority of our hydropower from the days the wind doesn’t blow. In that sense we do not need the Osbourne scheme, although of course it would have made a major contribution to our energy security as demand grows.
Massive offshore wind turbine installations have revolutionised energy in the United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and many other countries.
We already have relatively cheap and abundant electricity compared to most nations.
Imagine what we could achieve with a proper, sustainable programme of offshore wind power.
Prof Duncan Connors
Dunedin
Solutions preferred
Dr Eketone’s article (ODT, 13.12.24) points out systemic issues dating back decades. Joyce Yee-Murdoch’s view (Letters, 23.12.24) that migrants do better is due to them buying their way into the country.
Māori have the worst health stats, systemic poverty due to poor education and learning disabilities often overlooked. It’s a shame Māori who migrate to Australia are treated better there than in their own country.
The only people who can’t see that are those who think Māori ‘‘want it all’’ when the majority like myself were unable to appreciate or learn about tikanga until later life due to grandparents who were punished for speaking te reo. The push-back from Māori is to preserve our culture, our taonga and reo. Many Māori in the system do not know their whakapapa.
[Comments like those] are the epitome of privilege and prejudice, part of the problem, not the solution, in ensuring better pathways forward.
Izzy Harkins
Caversham
How do they intend to remedy this?
It is disappointing that the High Court’s decision that the Department of Conservation (Doc) has failed in its management and reporting of protected species bycatch in commercial fisheries has apparently still resulted in no publicity about how Doc or Ministry of Primary Industries intend to remedy this situation.
When can we expect this?
There is little point in organisations operating on land instituting good predator control and effective rehabilitation of yellow-eyed penguin chicks so that they successfully fledge and go to sea if those chicks never return to breed.
In the first instance the easiest measure would be to ban fishing in the areas where they have already been recorded as being caught as bycatch to ensure it does not happen again.
Is there any intention to do this, or do we just stand by and watch the penguins become extinct in the next few years, initially on the coast of the South Island?
Lala Frazer
Broad Bay
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