KEY POINTS:
Prime Minister Helen Clark has hinted that the future of three big fossil-fuel burning power plants may not be as certain as many think.
The day after the Government released its draft energy strategy, Miss Clark answered questions in Parliament from parties doubting the Government would effectively reduce climate change causing pollutants.
Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said planned power stations would see more coal and gas burned than ever and leave no room in the electricity market place for renewable energy projects.
"Will the energy strategy prevent the building of the three big new fossil fuelled power stations which are imminent -- Contact's Otahuhu C, Mighty River's Marsden B coal station and Genesis's gas station in Rodney -- which together with the almost built Huntly E3P, a total 25 per cent increase in current generation all of it fossil fuel?" Ms Fitzsimons asked
Miss Clark replied: "I would not have described any of those three the member mentioned as imminent".
Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen, who sits besides Miss Clark in Parliament nodded his head in response to her and said "absolutely".
The comments are a sign that the Government does expect that the draft energy strategy will create doubt in the minds of those planning fossil fuel burning power stations, and that the final strategy might make their construction not such a good idea.
Some in Labour spoken to by NZPA said senior ministers would not be disappointed if the fossil fuel burning power plants did not go ahead.
In Parliament, National Leader John Key attacked the strategy as being empty of detail and a back down from Miss Clark's aspiration of making New Zealand carbon neutrality.
Miss Clark retaliated by saying Mr Key was a recent convert to environmentalism and she had never been a "climate change denier" like him.
Mr Key tried to pin her down to a date to achieve carbon neutrality, but Miss Clark repeatedly said it was an aspiration.
Energy Minister David Parker yesterday released the draft and accompanying papers saying the Government wanted all new energy generation to be renewable unless other means were necessary for the security of electricity supply.
The most likely renewable energy sources were wind, hydro, geothermal and wave and tidal power.
The Government favoured a carbon emissions trading system as the best way to encourage clean energy and the option of a narrowly focused carbon tax on energy producers remained an alternative.
- NZPA
