9. Question No. 9—Energy and ResourcesJONATHAN YOUNG (National—New Plymouth) to the Minister of Energy and ResourcesQuestion No. 9—Energy and Resources9. JONATHAN YOUNG (National—New Plymouth) to the Minister of Energy and Resources: Does she stand by her statement made to the BusinessNZ Energy Council breakfast in February that the Government has set the ambitious goal for our country of 100 percent renewable electricity by 2035?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Minister of Energy and Resources): I stand by my full statement to the BusinessNZ Energy Council breakfast in February that we've set ambitious goals for our country: 100 percent renewables in a normal hydrological year and a clean green carbon-neutral economy by 2050.Jonathan Young: Does she agree with Mercury chief executive Fraser Whineray who when asked if getting beyond 95 percent renewable electricity was a problem replied Yeah absolutely. Getting to 100 percent renewable electricity if you are after reducing emissions is the wrong place to go."?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: I point that member to the statement that I did make at that breakfast which was 100 percent renewable electricity in a normal hydrological year. The policy that this Government has set envisions that we will see some peaking through to at least 2035 or beyond. But we are also putting in place the policy work that is required to ensure that beyond that we can move to a goal of 100 percent renewable. I also point that member to a comment from Transpower that says "A renewable future based on New Zealand's abundance of renewable energy resources is likely to offer the lowest-cost future for consumers." There are number of industry players that see this as inevitable and desirable.Jonathan Young: Does she agree with the New Zealand Initiative report that says getting from 97 to 100 percent renewable electricity will cost an extra $800 million resulting in increased electricity bills for consumers in New Zealand?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: I have read the New Zealand Initiative report that came out last week and what that report also says is that the analysis states that new technologies may change the equation. Again I point that member to the fact that our policy is 100 percent renewable in a normal hydrological year and envisions some thermal peaking through to at least 2035 and that this is entirely achievable. The numbers that are being bandied about by that member simply don't reflect our policy.Jonathan Young: Well how patient does she think consumers will be for her "100 percent renewable electricity at any cost" ideology that comes from her and her Government?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: I imagine consumers will be incredibly happy about the policy course that this Government is setting because not only does it allow us to address the issues that we need to but what we also know is that the cheapest forms of generation that will be built are renewables. In 2020 the levelised cost of electricity from solar is 8c a kilowatt hour wind 6c a kilowatt hour and gas at 20c a kilowatt hour. If we go through to 2035 that's 6c for solar 6c for wind and 25c for gas; through to 2050 that's 5c a kilowatt hour 5c for wind and 32c for gas. So I'm assuming consumers will be pretty happy with the policy path this Government is on."