Mahuta Nanaia: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Mahuta Nanaia: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:619;Page:14665] 
4.  
NANAIA MAHUTA (Labour—Tainui) 
 to the  
Minister of Energy 
: What progress is being made in developing renewable energy in New Zealand? 
Hon PETE HODGSON (Minister of Energy) 
: 
 Very good progress. Wind power is set to grow fourfold by the end of this year—the year ending in December. All of that remarkable increase has been driven by carbon credits arising from this Governments climate change policy. 
Nanaia Mahuta 
: When can New Zealanders expect to see the results of this policy? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: They are already seeing it of course but the member’s question is a good one because this Government intends to continue the way we started. In the next month or two we will put 6 million tonnes of carbon credits out to tender and are confident we will receive from our very innovative economy many bids to reduce pollution. 
Rod Donald 
: Would the strong growth in electricity generation from wind power have occurred without the Government’s climate change policy and the legislation that was supported by the Green Party? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: No it would not have. The large developments in wind power this year which by the end of this year will give us the largest and the second-largest wind farms in the Southern Hemisphere would not have proceeded without carbon credits. Under our policy not only will polluters pay but non-polluters will be paid. Under National’s policy which is still not on its website none of that sort of thing can happen because it is a dog. 
Peter Brown 
: Is the Minister convinced that renewable energy is coming on stream in sufficient quantities to truly have a competitive market which would put downward pressure on prices or is it just a case of keeping pace with demand which will enable retailers to sell everything at any price they so desire? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: That member will be aware of a number of generation projects recently under way and might be aware of a number of others that are soon to be announced. 
Hon Ken Shirley 
: Could the Minister tell the House approximately how many windmills across our landscape would be required to produce say 20 percent of our base electricity demand and can he confirm that they would need to be backed up with thermal generation because of the intermittent and unpredictable nature of wind blow? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: New Zealand will always need thermal generation; most renewable energy systems do. The only exceptions are where there is remarkable storage as there is in Norway. In New Zealand we can have certainly 20 percent of our energy come from wind. How many turbines would depend on the size of each turbine but I have been to a wind farm—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Cheap comments like that do not help Parliament at all. That member will stand withdraw and apologise. 
Brian Connell 
: I withdraw and apologise. 
Hon Ken Shirley 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I think there is a long-held understanding that interjections that are particularly witty are acceptable; describing the Minister as a wind farm was very witty. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member might think that; I certainly did not—not even half that. 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: I have been to a wind farm with 7200 turbines and if each of those produced a megawatt that would be as much electricity as we need. 
Rod Donald 
: What other steps is the Government taking to encourage wind power such as funding the identification of suitable wind farm sites which would help to match the assistance the Government is already giving to the drilling industry? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: I do not think there is any necessity for further assistance in identifying sites. There is now quite a large body of knowledge about the wind potential in New Zealand. The main thing that is needed for wind power to progress further is a very favourable planning system for which the Greens have offered their assistance and indeed carbon credits which is the sort of thing that could not happen under a National Party Government because it does not have the imagination to do it.