EnergyWatch - The Newsletter of SEF

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EnergyWatch issue 49 - July 2008

EnergyWatch 49 major articles include:

• Editorial
  -Liability Estimate Keeps Changing (on NZ's financial obligations under Kyoto up to 2012)
  -ETS Increasingly Lopsided
• Electricity Matters
  -Electricity Price Gouging Must Cease
  -$7 Billion Overpaid by Electricity Consumers?
  -Electricity Market to be Modified?
  -Whirinaki Indicates High Power Prices
  -Power Price Rises by Winter's End?
  -Rural Power Supply to Continue
  -Smaller and Smarter Wind Energy
• Electric Vehicles/Biofuels
  -EECA Electric Vehicles and Biofuels Conference 2008
  -Electric Scooter for Commuters
• Fuels
  -A Twelve Step Plan
  -Oil Supply/Demand Finely Balanced
  -Oil Price Milestone
  -Gas Galore?
• Climate Change/Global Warming
  -Progress(?) Since Bali
  -International Agreement Remains Difficult
  -Methane's Impact May be Downgraded?
  -Carbon Dioxide is not Carbon
  -ETS Bill Running Out of Time
  -ETS Revenue Beyond 2012
  -UN Climate Change Programme Wastes Billions
  -NZ's Emissions Continue to Rise
  -What is the NZ Price of Carbon?
  -Sustainability Council Report
  -The Coming Carbon Crunch

PDF (~803KB)

EnergyWatch issue 48 - May 2008

EnergyWatch 48 major articles include:

• Editorial
  -Biofuels Sales Obligation in Disarray
  -Changing Our Ways? - the initially deleted chapter in an environment report
• Overseas News Items
  -Future Energy/Oil Wars?
  -Report Says Biofuels are Unsustainable
  -CCS Technology Not Viable?
• Coal Matters
  -Solid Energy Reports a Loss
  -Huntly Reduces Coal Use (for the December quarter)
  -How Much Coal is Really Out There?
  -NZBCSD Opposes Green Party Views (on coal)
  -Green Party Modifies its Stand?
• Electricity Matters
  -Huntly - Another 20 Years (of life)?
  -Statement on Electricity Governance
  -Statement on Electricity Transmission
  -Wind Power Backup in NZ, and Wind Power Overseas
  -Govt Rejects Power Price Forecast
  -National Opposes New Thermal Generation Ban, and Todd Energy Criticises Ban
• Biofuels Sales Obligation
  -The SEF Submission
  -Biofuels Manufacturers' Comments, and Oil Companies' Comments
  -Comments From the AA, and Tests on Potential Vehicle Damage (from Biofuels)
  -Submission from the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment and the Green Party's Response
• Vehicles
  -Emissions Penalty for V8 Engines? - on two of NZ's most popular cars
  -New EU Emissions Regime and New NZ Emissions Policy
  -Petrol Prices Impact US Car Sales, and American Cars need to Downsize
  -US Car Purchasers Reluctant to Buy Diesel

PDF (~842KB)

EnergyWatch issue 47 - February 2008

EnergyWatch 47 major articles include:

• Editorial
  - Editorial noting that the targets which the NZ Government hopes to achieve through its proposed Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) are unclear.
  - Editorial on the rethink within the European Union (EU) which is now taking place on its target for the percentage of biofuels to replace fossil fuels by 2010, which failed to see the adverse effects on the environment it might cause.
• Climate Change/Global Warming
  - More on the NZ Government's ETS proposals
  - An article on the likely actual cost of carbon credits to be purchased under the ETS. The NZ Government originally said that it was likely that these could be purchased for around NZ$15 per tonne.
  - Recent newspaper comments on whether or not the world is actually warming at present.
• Biofuels
  - Further comment on the EU having second thoughts about its policy aimed at stimulating the production of biofuels for use within the EU, because of the adverse environmental impacts which are occurring.
  - Correspondence with the Minister of Energy regarding the proposed Biofuels Sales Obligation in NZ, commencing in 2008.
• Peak Oil
  - An article noting that Shell CEO, Jeroen van der Veer, now predicts that demand for oil and gas will outstrip supply within seven years (ie around 2015).
  - An article relating rising oil prices to Peak Oil. It appears that oil producers will be straining to increase oil production this year, and it is doubtful if they will be able to meet the projected figure now suggested by the IEA of 87.8 million barrels per day (bpd) required by the end of 2008. This is 2.1 million bpd higher than the average figure in 2007.

PDF (~481KB)

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)