English Bill: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
English Bill: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:608;Page:5459] 
2.  
Hon BILL ENGLISH (Leader of the Opposition) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: Further to her response to oral question No. 3 in the House yesterday that: “There will be significant change to the model to ensure that stand-by generation can be kept aside so that if we strike exceptionally dry years like this one people will not be asked again to make the sacrifices they have been asked to make.” can she explain what specific changes will be made and will these changes avert the possibility of New Zealanders experiencing blackouts and cold showers this winter? 
Hon PETE HODGSON (Minister of Energy) 
 on behalf of the 
 Prime Minister 
: The specific changes will be announced later this month and of course are long-term in their nature. 
Hon Bill English 
: As we face blackouts and cold showers because of a shortage of generation why should anyone believe that the Prime Minister will be able to find “stand-by generation” that is not being used or is she just trying to give the impression that she is doing something? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: The stand-by generation that the Prime Minister refers to is not stand-by generation for this year. That generation is already in place. An example is the diesel generator that exists in this complex which is now running. 
David Benson-Pope 
: What steps can ordinary New Zealanders take to help avoid the risk of power shortages this winter? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: If New Zealanders can do their best to achieve the target set by industry of 10 percent savings in the next few weeks that will significantly reduce the risk of shortages. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Given that her Government has been warming the Treasury benches for the last 4 years and given her continuing penchant for blaming the power crisis on the weather Max Bradford power users and the market when will she admit that her buck-passing Government has done nothing and that any forthcoming announcements will be another example of too little far too late? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: The Government has done a good deal to fix up the mess it inherited. It is apparent that it needs to do more. 
Hon Richard Prebble 
: Does the Prime Minister agree that significant aspects of the present Labour Government’s energy model are the Department of Conservation blocking any coal-mining applications and hydro development the Resource Management Act delaying new generating schemes for years and Kyoto treaty commitments resulting in carbon taxes that have ruled out the possibility of new coal-fired stations; and is the Government intending to tackle any of those aspects of its model? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: The Government is due to introduce legislation into the House presently to change the Resource Management Act in respect of renewables and energy efficiency. Beyond that we see the need to do no further. In respect of Kyoto I might say parenthetically that the Kyoto instrument will be responsible for quadrupling the amount of wind generation in this country in short order. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: Has the Government considered whether spending hundreds of millions of dollars on stand-by coal generation is more or less cost-efficient for the nation than a well-understood demand management plan including for example compensating Comalco for shutting one of its three potlines in a 1 in 20 dry year; if so what was the answer; if not why not? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: Yes we have and the answer will be made available later this month. 
Hon Bill English 
: If stand-by generation is a good idea to deal with power supply shortages in 4 or 5 years’ time why did the Government not make that move after it reviewed the electricity industry following the 1999 election had the 2001 power crisis and spent millions of dollars on consultants’ reports and reviews; why did the Government not take the same action then as it is saying it will take now which will not make any difference for 5 years anyway? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: The best answer to that question is to say that one could suggest that in 2001 record low inflows may not repeat again in 2003. Regrettably not only have they repeated themselves in short order but they are actually worse at this time of the year than they were even in 2001. 
Hon Bill English 
: Now that the Government does have access to “much-improved scenario modelling” when is the next dry year due? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: The member may choose to treat this facetiously. He knows that scenario modelling for future weather is not possible. What is possible is a response to it.