New Zealand Energy Quarterly – June 2020
The New Zealand Energy Quarterly provides quarterly data and analysis on energy supply, demand and pricing across various commodities. This edition was released on 10 September 2020.
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June quarter
Energy Quarterly: June 2020 report [PDF, 525 KB]
Main highlights for this quarter
- Most of the June 2020 quarter was spent in Alert Level 2 or above throughout New Zealand. About a month was spent at Alert Level 4, from 1 April – 26 April 2020.
- Residential demand increased 8.2 per cent as households had higher daytime electricity usage during this quarter.
- Agriculture also saw higher demand (up 3.9 per cent) due to dry conditions, increasing irrigation needs.
- These demand increases were offset by the closure of non-essential services at Alert Level 4 causing industrial and commercial demand to fall 13 per cent. This saw national electricity demand fall 5.1 per cent from June 2019 quarter.
- Total electricity generation fell 5.4 per cent in line with the fall in electricity demand.
- Low lake inflows and maintenance resulted in a 12 per cent decrease in hydro generation, while geothermal remained steady and wind had a small increase. This saw the renewables share of electricity generation fall to 80.6 per cent, the lowest renewable share in a June quarter since 2017.
- On the non-renewable side of electricity generation, coal use decreased 12 per cent and is the lowest level in two years. However, gas use for generation increased 16 per cent to make up the shortfall in total generation.
- Global and domestic demand for oil continued to fall in the June 2020 quarter. Restrictions on travel and business operation caused a drop in fuel demand of 28 per cent, falling to the lowest volume consumed since September 1997. Transport was the most heavily affected area of oil demand. Domestic transport consumption fell 32 per cent and international transport fell 69 per cent.
- Globally and domestically, oil prices followed the fall in oil demand. Premium petrol, regular petrol and retail diesel fell 11 per cent, 14 per cent, and 23 per cent, respectively.
More information on the response to COVID-19 by the energy sector
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Last updated: 10 December 2020