Energy in New Zealand 2022 shows a strong share of renewable energy

Released today, Energy in New Zealand 2022 is MBIE’s annual round-up of the energy sector, highlighting key trends in energy supply, transformation and demand for the 2021 calendar year.

Energy in New Zealand 2022

“The report shows the share of energy supply from renewables was 40.8%, the highest since reporting started in 1990. Twenty-eight % of energy consumption also came from renewables, the highest it has been since 2016,” says Mike Hayward, Manager Markets, Digital, Data & Insights, at MBIE.

The renewable share for electricity generation increased to 82.1% for 2021, up from 81.1% in 2020. This was despite La Niña conditions causing below average hydro storage and inflows, which led to an increase in coal use for electricity generation in the first half of the year.

“We’re also seeing that while energy consumption increased by 0.7% compared to 2020, it is yet to return to pre-COVID levels,” Mike Hayward said.

Energy consumption by households was the only sector where consumption surpassed 2019 levels, with two factors driving this being the move to Alert level 4 in August 2021, and colder weather conditions.

“Conversely, in the domestic transport sector, we saw consumption increase 5% compared to 2020, which will likely be due to COVID-19 related travel restrictions easing throughout the year allowing for people to travel around New Zealand.”

For further insights, visit the New Zealand Energy Dashboard(external link).