This page last updated on 30 March 2001 Energy is one of the major resources required for the functioning and development of our country.
Energy lights our towns, powers our vehicles, warms our homes, and helps run our industry.
Energy is also the capacity to do work. Inefficient and intensive uses of energy resources are causing air and water pollution, climate change, habitat loss and contamination of our land. Energy sources are typically divided into those that are renewable and those that are not. Oil, natural gas and coal are the main non-renewable energy sources in New Zealand. Of these, only hydro-electricity and geothermal energy are used to any great extent in New Zealand.