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National policy statement for renewable electricity generation

Board of Inquiry information

Information relating to the Board of Inquiry is available from the Board of Inquiry for the proposed National Policy Statement for Renewable Electricity Generation web pages. This includes biographical information on the board members, updates on Board processes leading to a hearing, and submissions and further submissions are available to download.

About the national policy statement

The government’s intention to prepare a national policy statement for renewable electricity generation was announced with the release of the New Zealand Energy Strategy in October 2007. The preparation of such a statement is a key action of the New Zealand Energy Strategy in support of the government’s sustainable energy goals. The proposed National Policy Statement for Renewable Electricity Generation will also complement the New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy, and will help to strengthen the policy framework relating to renewable energy and the control of greenhouse gas emissions.

The proposed National Policy Statement for Renewable Electricity Generation will establish the national significance of the benefits that are associated with renewable electricity generation. By clarifying the government’s position on the benefits of renewable electricity generation, the NPS will help promote a nationally consistent approach to balancing the competing values associated with the development of New Zealand’s renewable energy resources, and will provide greater certainty to decision-makers, applicants and the wider community.

The proposed National Policy Statement for Renewable Electricity Generation has been drafted taking into account the views of iwi authorities, local authorities, electricity generators and other key stakeholders.

For more information:

Background

In 2005, after a review of the RMA, the notion of national policy guidance for energy projects was considered by the Minister for the Environment as part of a wider programme improving planning and consenting hurdles under the Resource Management Act.

The Ministry for the Environment and the Ministry of Economic Development jointly led a stakeholder reference group looking at the merits of both a potential national policy statement and national environmental standards for electricity generation. This was not limited to renewable generation, but all forms of thermal and renewable electricity generation.

In 2006, the reference group concluded that there would be marginal benefit in pursuing a generic national policy statement on electricity generation. This work was superseded by consultation on the New Zealand Energy Strategy. The New Zealand Energy Strategy was released in October 2007 and the preparation of a national policy statement for renewable electricity generation was identified as a key action in support of the government’s sustainable energy goals.

For details on the background work carried out by the 2005 Reference Group, see Scoping a National Policy Statement on Electricity Generation on the Ministry of Economic Development website.

Last updated: 19 February 2009