New Zealand is moving to eliminate construction of any more new gas or coal fired power plants. This comes on the heels of the recent announcement that the nation planned to be producing 90 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2025. Of course, it helps that New Zealand already produces 70 percent of its electricity from wind, hydro and geothermal plants.

"The government already plans to inform state-owned generators, who generate around two-thirds of the country's electricity, that it expects them to follow the ban on new fossil fueled plants, and the ban is likely to extend to private generators."

"We don't believe there should be any need for new fossil fuel plants to be built for baseload generation for at least ten years," said David Parker, New Zealand's energy minister. New Zealand doesn't have the same breadth of infrastructure to deal with as is the existing condition in North America. But they are certainly setting an example for the rest of the world by fundamentally eliminating fossil fuel generation of electricity within the next twenty years.

previously on EcoGeek: New Zealand to be 90% Renewable by 2025

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Exemptions?
written by EV , October 15, 2007

I sure hope they put some exemptions if that ban. I'd hate to be one hour into open heart surgery when the power goes out. I'd hate to be relying on batteries alone for a hospital, or possibly a windmill on the roof. And no way a solar system is going to provide all the electricity for an entire hospital.

Hospital already run by Hydroenergy
written by Enrique , October 15, 2007

Hydroenergy produces 70% of New Zealand electricity.
The last 20% will be solar and wind.

...
written by TY , October 16, 2007

EV, you are confusing renewable energy sources with off-the-grid power systems... A grid supplied by renewable (hydro, wind, solar, biofuel, etc) energy can be as reliable as one powered by fossil fuels.

Off the grid power systems (whether a turbine on the roof or a fossil-fuel powered generator in the basement) can suffer from a single point of failure. I wouldn't want to be one hour into open heart surgery when the generator in the basement ran out of diesel either.

Hydro = Dams ?
written by doc75 , October 17, 2007

Just curious but doesn't hydro (as shown) equal making a dam? Doesn't a dam impact the local ecology? Perhaps that is a good compromise in light of global warming, but why don't we permit such compromises here in the US instead of NIMBYing such projects.

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