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.

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