KEY POINTS:
Backyard wind turbines could become more common in rural areas under a proposed national policy on electricity generation.
Environment Minister Trevor Mallard and Energy Minister David Parker yesterday announced the proposed statement for renewable electricity generation. It would encourage the small-scale development of renewable electricity generation projects to cut back on the reliance of rural communities on the national grid.
That could include making it simpler to set up small renewable energy sources such as a wind turbine in the backyard.
The ministers have appointed an independent board of inquiry to consider the proposed policy to help achieve the Government's goal of generating 90 per cent of the country's electricity from renewable sources by 2025. The board of inquiry will receive public submissions and report back to the Environment Minister on the proposed national policy statement before it was gazetted.
Mr Parker said there was a need to move away from the technologies of the past to the technologies of the future to reduce environmental impacts.
"Those technologies are likely to include wind, geothermal, solar, tidal and hydro."
The statement would guide decision makers on how to balance the national benefits of renewable generation projects with local considerations.
Mr Mallard said the 90 per cent renewables target did not require damming every river and putting wind turbines on every ridge line.
Local authorities would have to consider the "reversibility" of effects of new renewable generation. They would be required to give effect to the national policy statement in day-to-day resource management activities relating to renewable electricity generation activities including the consideration of resource consent applications, designations or plan changes.
Mr Parker said the Government's focus on a sustainable energy future was in stark contrast to the approach of the National Party.
"National pays lip service to climate change and the environment, but it is happy to see more fossil fuel generation and to remove the environmental protections the [Resource Management Act] provides."
Mr Parker said National's Wellington candidate, Stephen Franks, had said that a nuclear power plant could be built near Auckland and New Zealanders would demand it some day.
But Gerry Brownlee, National's energy spokesman, yesterday told the Herald there was no intention of going nuclear. It would be an expensive option that would require a significant transmission upgrade.
"We have no interest ... It is not part of our policy and won't be."
BOARD OF INQUIRY
* Dr Royden Somerville, QC - local government and environmental barrister (chairman).
* Geraldine Baumann - a senior legal adviser with extensive involvement in electricity industry.
* Wira Gardiner - company director.
* Dr Ralph Chapman - associate professor and environmental economist.
