Last year, after acknowledging there was a \u201cpower crisis\u201d during the winter, the Government launched a review of the electricity market<\/a> to ensure the right regulatory settings were in place to keep prices down and the lights on.<\/p>\n Watts said today the Government will make announcements on the review \u201cin due course\u201d, adding it was his \u201cbottom line\u201d as minister to ensure an affordable New Zealand energy system.<\/p>\n In June, new data from Statistics New Zealand showed electricity prices have jumped 6.2% since last year<\/a>.<\/p>\n Today\u2019s letter said the time for incremental adjustments had passed and called the issue the Government\u2019s most impactful economic reform opportunity.<\/p>\n \u201cLevel the playing field. Put protections in place for consumers and businesses alike. Unlock investment in low-cost renewable generation. Put forward an energy strategy that all political parties can sign up to,\u201d the letter said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe urge you to use this once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape our energy market.\u201d<\/p>\n Speaking on Newstalk ZB today, Consumer NZ<\/a> chief executive Jon Duffy said a significant and growing number of people are contemplating whether they can afford to put the heater on.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are having to make really tough choices about how they manage their electricity bill. Sometimes those choices are so tough, it comes down to choosing to put food on the table in a given week or pay the power bill,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Duffy said electricity is an essential service and after 30 years of giving the market a good crack, it\u2019s time for a new, unified strategy. Otherwise, the country will end up in a dark place.<\/p>\n Alan McDonald from the Employers and Manufacturers Association<\/a> said the letter reflects the urgency to fix some severely significant structural problems that led last year to some members\u2019 businesses closing down, and others considering the same this year.<\/p>\n AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.<\/a><\/p>\n New Zealand has gone from a country with internationally competitive pricing that attracted businesses to pricing that is closing businesses down, McDonald said.<\/p>\n There are no quick fixes, but the country needs to get on with gas exploration or some kind of thermal option to back what\u2019s happening with things such as solar and wind, he said.<\/p>\n Speaking today from the Act Party\u2019s annual \u201cFree & Equal\u201d rally in Auckland<\/a>, Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour said he was not familiar with the specific letter, but he had met with a group including the electricity users association and several pulp and paper companies at the Auckland Business chamber just last week.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the end of the day, the only thing that will get more electricity is more electricity generation capacity. You can\u2019t build solar and wind forever unless you\u2019ve got baseload to balance it out,\u201d Seymour said.<\/p>\n The Act leader said he believed changes to the Resource Management Act will make it easier to get geothermal energy production as well as making it easier to build more hydroelectric power plants.<\/p>\nPrime Minister Christopher Luxon is being urged to fix the “broken” energy sector.<\/p>\n
Wind farms are contributing to meeting the demand for new electricity.<\/p>\n
Consumer NZ chief Jon Duffy said growing numbers of people are struggling with power bills.<\/p>\n