Hodgson’s head firmly in the sand
Gerry Brownlee - National Energy Spokesperson
Energy Minister Pete Hodgson has his head firmly in the sand if he can’t see the looming energy crisis New Zealand
faces, says National’s Energy spokesman Gerry Brownlee.
“Mr Hodgson is kidding no-one with weasel words about New Zealand’s power generation capacity remaining “adequate for
the foreseeable future.”
“Maui gas is running out so quickly that new gas supplies and new generating stations are needed by 2005 to meet the
risk of a 1 in 20 dry-year scenario.
“No one is going to invest in a new power station until new gas reserves are proven, and even then it will be well
beyond 2005 before one is built because of the inevitable delays that will occur obtaining consents under the Resource
Management Act.
“In the meantime, Labour will continue to talk about growing New Zealand’s economy at 4 percent, but all the while
knowing there is no capacity for that to happen without new energy supplies at a stable price,” says Mr Brownlee.