As we’re seeing more frequently these days, climate change affects us all. Which makes it even more vital that we act now to transition to renewable energy sources.
The energy sector will play a key role in helping us to reduce emissions. That’s why New Zealand’s energy companies have teamed up to create Powering Change, a collective commitment to a more sustainable future for Aotearoa New Zealand.
The good news is that Aotearoa is already on a journey to act on climate change. Together, we can all play our part in helping to reduce our emissions.
The journey towards renewable energy
Powering Change means continuing to make our energy systems smarter, and transforming them to be built around our customers. It means finding better ways to generate, store and use our energy, and unlocking the potential of technology to get more out of our infrastructure.
Powering Change is not just a name. It’s our pledge to Aotearoa New Zealand. It embodies the belief that we can and will meet our goals, and is the guiding light that will influence our actions on the journey to a more sustainable future.
To help us all get there, we’ve come up with six key principles to help steer us on that journey:
1. Powering choice
We place New Zealand energy users at the heart of our journey. As our energy systems become smarter and are transformed around our customers’ needs, and as new ways of producing, storing and supplying electricity and gas are developed, we want customers to be able to choose how they use their energy, and the products they need.
2. Powering innovation
Our energy system is already changing rapidly. And as the need for renewable energy grows, the ways to meet that demand will need to change even more including demand side innovation. We are committed to encouraging innovation, fostering creativity and improving customer choices to reduce our emissions. Developing new products and finding better ways to do things will play a big part in helping us to achieve that. All while ensuring power remains firmly in the hands of our customers.
3. Powering affordability
We want to keep energy affordable for all Kiwi families and businesses. Don’t get us wrong, the scale of investment required over the coming decades is significant – but we are committed to ensuring this investment will not create new problems for households already struggling to meet their energy needs. We know that the conversion to renewable energy has the potential to improve affordability for customers, and we are committed to making this happen.
4. Powering reliability
We want to provide customers with a secure and reliable service. As a growing portion of our system will be running on renewable electricity, this heightens the need for security and resilience. A diverse range of energy sources will be needed to power New Zealand including natural gas as a transition fuel so that when the lakes are low and wind and solar are in short supply, we can continue to supply power to New Zealanders as and when they need it.
5. Powering collaboration
Moving towards a more renewable energy system will involve all Kiwi families, businesses and communities. We want to make sure that everyone has a say, and we work effectively with businesses, government, community, and iwi to ensure our choices benefit the future of Aotearoa as a whole. This will require collaboration across both our sector and the broader energy system.
6. Powering care for the environment
Our renewable energy system relies on the natural environment. It also has the potential to impact the environment. So as the system evolves, we will seek local guidance and ensure the natural resources we all rely on are always valued and respected.
Join us on our journey to create a more sustainable future for Aotearoa New Zealand, as we take action to reach Net Zero. To find out more, visit poweringchange.nz