Our team supported the submission made by GNS Science to the Government consultation on the NZ Energy Strategy.
The GNS Science submission identified that the potential growth of geothermal for energy use in New Zealand has been underestimated. Low footprint supercritical geothermal energy has the potential to economically generate up to an additional 30,000GWh of electricity annually, with analysis from Castalia identifying that supercritical geothermal could meet a significant component of New Zealand's renewable electricity demand beyond 2037. The GNS Submission, which addresses more than supercritical geothermal, will be made accessible on the MBIE website.
The New Zealand Geothermal Association (NZGA) also submitted to this consultation process. The NZGA's submission is available here.
Their submission also emphasised the potential of geothermal energy as a key component in achieving New Zealand's transition to an expanded and highly renewable electricity system. A key message is the importance of ensuring regulatory requirements enabling geothermal development whilst protecting this taonga. With geothermal energy already playing a significant role in the country's energy mix, the NZGA believes that further investment and support for the sector can drive even greater success.