EnergyWatch - The Newsletter of SEF

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EnergyWatch issue 46 - December 2007

EnergyWatch 46 major articles include:

• Editorial
  -Editorial on "Peak Oil - An Important Issue?", plus an abridged version of Tim Jones' recent article on "The Future of Oil"
  -An item on "Government Limousine Purchase Decision"
• Contribution from SEF Members
  -A report by SEF members Stephan Heubeck and Steve Goldthorpe on projects under Germany's guaranteed feed-in electricity tariffs for renewable energy
• Peak Oil
  -An article by Tim Jones on "NZES Looks the Other Way" in denying the importance of the forthcoming peak in world oil production
  -A summary of the findings of the 200 page report of the Australian Senate Inquiry, dated February 2007
  -An item on "Oil Price Rise to US$150/Barrel?" and a brief review of the film "A Crude Awakening"
• Vehicles
  -An item on "Is Congestion a Tool?" to encourage non-car travel
  -An item on hybrids being less suitable for larger vehicles than diesel
  - An item on the Government's new rules on vehicle emissions controls
• Fuels
  -An item on more Maui gas contracted commitments, bringing the likely total of gas to be extracted from the field up to 95% of the original contract amount
  -An item on the offshore Tui oil field (in Taranaki) already having a significant impact on NZ's balance of payments

PDF (~565KB)

EnergyWatch issue 45 - August 2007

EnergyWatch 45 major articles include:

• Editorial Comment
  -Editorial on "A Conservation Ethic is Essential", plus comment on "Was Malthus Correct After All?"
• SEF Submission on the Draft NZ Energy Strategy
  -Preamble plus Executive Summary
• Climate Change/Global Warming
  -"Exaggeration of Climate Change Predictions?", plus comment on "Are Carbon Credits Like Buying Indulgences?" Also a summary of Kyoto Protocol Issues, Carbon Trading, Carbon Neutrality/Carbon Credits, and Reducing Agricultural Emissions
• Electricity Matters
  -Including Electricity Market Review, Record NZ Electricity Demand, Huntly e3p Enters Electricity Market, Contact to Spend $3 Billion on Renewables, Wind Power issues, Smart Meters, and Demand Side Participation Trial

PDF (~500KB)

EnergyWatch issue 44 - April 2007

EnergyWatch 44 major articles include:

• Editorial
  - Editorial on "Transport Energy - Questions of Scale", plus comment on the Prime Minister's 13 February speech on "Carbon Neutrality Being an Aspirational Goal".
• Seminar Summary
  - Summary of the SEF/EFNZ 16 February Seminar on "Government Energy and Climate Change Policies", including perceived gaps in the policy documents.
• Vehicles and Fuels
  - A variety of news items, including a statement from the President of Honda that a next-generation hydrogen-powered fuel cell car affordable for some people might be on the market by about 2018.
• Pathways to a Sustainable Energy Future - Summary of a panel discussion on the above topic chaired by Chris
  Laidlaw, broadcast on National Radio on Sunday 26 November 2006.
• Electricity Matters
  - Three brief news items, including information from Statistics New Zealand that New Zealand's total electricity generation during the 2006 calendar year was up by 1.6% compared with the 2005 year.

PDF (~386KB)

EnergyWatch issue 43 - February 2007

EnergyWatch 43 major articles include:

• Editorial on "Biofuels, Hydrogen, or Batteries?"
• Demand Side Management and Smart Meters
  - including comment on how individual electricity consumers and the country might benefit from the widespread application of smart meters to monitor household electricity use.
• Government Energy Policy
  - including the release of both the draft NZ Energy Strategy and the draft NZ Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy.
• Climate Change/Global Warming
  - including comment on what "carbon neutral" means, and does it include methane emissions?
• Fuel Availability and Cost
  - including comment on the increasing dependence of both the USA and the EU on importing oil (and gas into Europe), and an article questioning the viability of growing crops to produce biofuels.
• Electric Cars
  - including brief comment on General Motor's new prototype plug-in hybrid car.

PDF (~317KB)

EnergyWatch issue 42 - December 2006

EnergyWatch 42 major articles include:

• Editorial on "Lignites or LNG?"
• The NZ Electricity System
  - and including tables of NZ wind farms currently in operation, and in the consents process or under construction.
• Liquid Fuels From Southern Lignites
  - and including an article from Steve Goldthorpe on "Greenhouse Gas Consequences of Fossil-derived Transport Fuels".
• Fuel Availability and Cost
  - and including articles on the vulnerability of US oil supplies, and understanding the falling oil price.
• Climate Change/Global Warming
  - and including comments on the recently-released Stern Report.

PDF (~305KB)

EnergyWatch issue 41 - September 2006

EnergyWatch 41 major articles include:

• Editorial on "Why do Electricity Prices Keep Rising?"
• Summary of SEF Meetings with Politicians.
• Climate Change/Global Warming
  - and including a film review of "An Inconvenient Truth"
• NZ's Natural Gas Reserves
  - and including a graph showing a sharp falling off after 2015
• NZ Electricity Issues
  - and especially national grid security and the proposed 400kV transmission line
• Southland's Coal Potential
  -and especially the greenhouse gas implications

PDF (~509KB)

EnergyWatch issue 40 - April 2006

EnergyWatch 40 major articles include:

• Editorial on "Countries Realise Their Energy Vulnerability"
• Global Warming/Climate Change
• Roles of the Electricity Commission
• Winter Electricity Shortages
• The NZ Electricity System
• Energy From Southland's Lignites

PDF (~359KB)

EnergyWatch issue 39 - January 2006

EnergyWatch 39 major articles include:

• Editorial on "Where is the Leadership?"
• Letter to the Editor (on hybrid cars)
• Peak Oil
• Energy Conservation
• Car Sales/Production
• NZ Energy Futures

PDF (~346KB)

EnergyWatch issue 38 - November 2005

EnergyWatch 38 major articles include:

• Editorial on "In This issue"
• Alternatives to a 400kV Transmission Line (into Auckland)
• Peak Oil/Energy Conservation
• Climate Change/Global Warming
• Petrol-Electric Hybrids/High Efficiency Diesels
• Other News (including Labour-Greens Agreement)

PDF (~310KB)

EnergyWatch issue 37 - August 2005

EnergyWatch 37 major articles include:

• Kyoto Alternative is a “Claytons” Agreement
• Feature on Peak Oil and the New Zealand response
• SEF & NZPVA Politician Responses on Sustainability Energy
• EFNZ Energy Policy Forum Notes
• Politicians Dialogue on Sustainability

PDF (~441KB)

EnergyWatch issue 36 - March 2005

Opinion: In the danger zone
First political commitment to Peak Oil
The long emergency Jim Kunstler
     The political history and a US scenario for Peak Oil.
Electricity and sustainability; making the best of what we have SEF News
More work needed on energy efficiency
     EECA's second NEECS results report.
Critics challenge White House 'Clear Skies' proposal Roddy Scheer
     Bush’s clean air proposals may make things worse.
The Centameter Kerry Wood
      Real-time readout of domestic electricity use.
Temperatures may rise by 1.9–11¾C
Meeting the climate change challenge Michael McCarthy
     The time for action is now, says a top-level report.
Opinion: Don’t push Bush on Kyoto Tom Burke
Why the sun seems to be ‘dimming’ David Sington, BBC
Roads gone wild Tom McNichol
      Everything that is dangerous is safe, and everything that is safe is dangerous.
Opinion: How green are trolley buses?
Opinion: How like a trolley bus is an aluminium smelter?
     Two musings from SEF News on the ‘carbon content’ of electricity
Prime Minister opens Te Apiti
A 'standard' solar house Heather & Kerry Wood
     The Powered Living solar house design
The sustainable energy imperatives John Blakeley
     From the Energy Federation of NZ 2004 Conference
The Kyoto Protocol: in force from 16 February
Bathtubs and hockey sticks

and more...

PDF (~224KB)

EnergyWatch issue 35 - December 2004

• Opinion: How do we reach a sustainable energy future?
• Liquified Natural Gas Kerry Wood
       What is it? Is it safe? Do we want it? Can we afford it?
• The case for renewable generation Dr Keith Turner
• Russia ratifies
• Wining the oil endgame RMI
• The Windflow 500 kW wind turbine
       Apart from having two blades, what is different about it?
• More on oil supply limits Zittel & Schindler

PDF (~258KB)

EnergyWatch issue 34 - September 2004

• Opinion: Who hath measured the ground?
        Private funding of public infrastructure
• Maui update John Blakeley, Steve Goldthorpe and Kerry Wood
       More gas and a longer life, at a price
• A sound solution for Windflow
        A wind turbine noise problem solved
• Sorting the muck from the brass
        Energy efficiency in the milking shed

PDF (~300KB)

EnergyWatch issue 33 - June 2004

• Oil supply limits Kerry Wood
• Wind energy growth in the OECD — and NZ Dr Ivan Petroff
• The nuclear option
• Dirty and not-so-dirty diesels Kerry Wood

PDF (~264KB)

EnergyWatch issue 32 - March 2004

• Opinion: Why do we want an electricity market?
• Matching the wind and hydro resources
• Offshore wind farm potential Kerry Wood
• Storm in a bathtub
       A crude but well-funded attempt to discredit climate change
• The hydrogen economy Steve Goldthorpe
• The developing market for energy efficiency in NZ ECNZ (1992)

PDF (~255KB)

EnergyWatch issue 31 - December 2003

• Opinion: Implementing sustainable energy targets in NZ John Blakeley
• London’s congestion charge — 6 months on
• Eating fossil fuels Dale Allen Pfeiffer
• Large or small scale? Supply or demand sides?
       A thought experiment

PDF (~231KB)

EnergyWatch issue 30 - September 2003

• Opinion: More on Peak Oil
• Behind the blackout An interview with energy banker Matthew Simmons
• Towering design flaws Amory Lovins
       The US power blackout
• SEF submission to the Commerce Committee’s inquiry into the NZ electricity industry John Blakeley, Steve Goldthorpe & Molly Melhuish
• ASPO sees oil peaking by 2010 Doris Leblond

PDF (~369KB)

EnergyWatch issue 29 - July 2003

• Opinion: Peak Oil: government action please
• More on Maui John Blakeley, Steve Goldthorpe and Kerry Wood
       There is no ‘missing gas’
• Sustainable energy development for NZ
       Converting a power crisis into an opportunity
• The market must be the servant of the electricity industry, not its master Steve Goldthorpe
• Peak Oil Kerry Wood
       World-wide oil production may peak soon

PDF (~287KB)

EnergyWatch issue 28 - March 2003

• Opinion: Time for an energy policy
• The story of Maui John Blakeley, Steve Goldthorpe and Kerry Wood
       Why are we suddenly running short?
• In hot water
       Which is the best system ‘all depends’
• London introduces congestion charging Kerry Wood

PDF (~236KB)

EnergyWatch issue 27 - December 2002

• NZ Energy Conference Summary. An abstracted version of Morgan Williams’ summing up.
• Efficient reliability - The critical role of demand-side resources in power systems and markets by Richard Cowart (National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners).
• Opinion - Governance, sustainability and barrier busting.

PDF (~180KB)

EnergyWatch issue 26 - October 2002

• After the Energy Conference: Where to now? Editorial.
• Something is very wrong with New Zealand’s electricity market by Molly Melhuish.
• Bringing Road and Rail into Balance by Kerry Wood.

PDF (~214KB)

EnergyWatch issue 25 - July 2002

• Implications of the Winter Electricity Crisis by Bryan Leyland, FIPENZ, Principal, Sinclair Knight Merz.
• Opinion - A Resource Left In The Ground Has No Value.
• Private sector funding and toll roads better option than higher petrol taxes? by Kerry Wood.
• World Renewable Energy Policy and Strategy Forum by Robbie Morrison, Berlin.

PDF (~217KB)

EnergyWatch issue 24 - May 2002

• A Glass Half-Full by Steve Goldthorpe
• The proposed renewable energy targets by Kerry Wood
• Are NZ’s energy policies contributing to sustainable development? by Molly Melhuish
  A report for Helio International
• Vehicle pollution kills 400 a year in NZ - Ministry of Transport

PDF (~207KB)

EnergyWatch issue 23 - March 2002

• Obituary: Dr Colin Wells, 1961–2001
• Monitor: World oil reserves and consumption

PDF (~213KB)

EnergyWatch issue 22 - December 2001

• Responding to climate change Pete Hodgson
• The high, hidden cost of Saudi oil NY Times
• Avoiding carbon emissions through technological solutions Ralph Sims

PDF (~203KB)

EnergyWatch issue 21 - September 2001

• Carbon sinks ‘little help to climate’ BBC
• Kiwis’ knowledge of climate change ‘only moderate’ NZ govt
• Biodiesel’s potential Ralph Sims
• Contraction and convergence

PDF (~191KB)

EnergyWatch issue 20 - June 2001

• Why the Bush oil (energy) policy will fail Cleveland & Kaufman
  The myths that underpin policy
• Morning in America: More myths
• The energy crisis in California and nearer home EMA
• Clean coal Steve Goldthorpe
• Quote of the year USGS

PDF (~259KB)

EnergyWatch issue 19 - May 2001

• Four more pieces of the global warming jigsaw — and a confirmation
• From the drizzle of new research results

PDF (~193KB)

EnergyWatch issue 18 - March 2001

• Carbon Sinks and Cycles Kerry Wood
• IPCC third assessment report IPCC
• Think big? Think again! Think hydrogen Ken Piddington

PDF (~183KB)

EnergyWatch issue 17 - December 2000

• Future Directions for SEF John Blakeley
• The Power Package Pete Hodgson
  Implications For The Electricity Network Industry
• No point in waiting around for leadership Donella H Meadows

PDF (~194KB)

EnergyWatch issue 16 - September 2000

• Opinion: What if? Ken Piddington
• Amory Lovins on markets
• The government’s transport strategy (with comments)

PDF (~202KB)

EnergyWatch issue 15 - July 2000

• New Directions for New Zealand Helen Clark
• The Task Ahead Molly Melhuish

PDF (~186KB)

EnergyWatch issue 14 - June 2000

• What is happening to oil prices? Kerry Wood
  EnergyWatch’s first mention of peak oil
• Monitor: Transport fuel use in NZ: a summary and guide to statistics Kerry Wood
  Note that an error in the original article has been corrected; a barrel is 159 litres not 220L.
• Stabilising the global climate Lester Brown, Worldwatch Institute

PDF (~555KB)