KEY POINTS:
Food for thought as the wind plays havoc with beach and barbecue plans this summer, is that New Zealand is better positioned than any other country in the world to generate all of our electricity from renewable sources.
One of the most important choices facing this nation over the next few years is the development of new generators of electric power.
Important and challenging too, given the environmental, social, political and economic complexities that cluster around the issue.
To provide electricity for the short-term and our long-term development, we need to do a number of things soon. And it's important for the long-term that we do the right things. In the era of global warming, the penalties for making the wrong decision are in sharp focus.
I believe the time has come for New Zealanders to make a historic choice - a choice to generate all of our electricity from renewables.
The age of fossil fuels is drawing to a close, climate change is here and future energy policy is being heavily influenced by this reality. Nuclear and coal-fired generation are technically possible but uneconomic.
So where will the electricity for our homes and factories come from?
What we need is an abundant, economic and reliable fuel that will allow New Zealand to continue to grow its economy.
Abundant means that there is sufficient fuel available to meet our current and future needs. Economic means that the cost of this fuel should not be significantly higher than our present pricing structures. Reliable means that it will not be affected by the whims and vagaries of international markets - that is, it should be indigenous to New Zealand.
Fortunately, such a fuel exists. Never mind the season, it has been blowing a gale in these islands since long before the moa and it isn't going to stop. Wind is free, non-polluting and never depletes.
It is relatively easy to harvest and there is much flexibility in location and scale. With advantages like that, wind is close to being the perfect fuel.
In conjunction with our hydro and geothermal system, it provides the ability for renewable energy to power this country forever.
It is important to note that we can only contemplate such a large proportion of wind power because of our extensive hydro system.
New Zealand is the windiest country in the world, and the wind is very reliable on a seasonal basis, but it does not blow every day.
Hydro, however, is always available - we have an extensive system of hydro lakes and generation plant and thus can be used to balance the daily changes in wind speed.
By combining the daily reliability of hydro with the seasonal reliability of the wind we can get an electricity system significantly more robust and reliable than is currently the case. We have everything we need to make the vision of a 100 per cent renewable energy future a reality.
So what is the catch? Solving our electricity crisis can't be as simple as building a few wind turbines can it?
In fact it can. It would take less than 4000 turbines to replace all of our non-renewable power generation. That's less than a quarter of the number of power pylons currently crisscrossing the country.
The catch is the turbines will be visible on the skyline, because that's where the wind is; so it is important that we decide which locations we want to keep in their natural state and which we are happy to modify.
Where shall we put them? Fortunately, we have so many windy hills that we do have a choice.
Some favour a small number of very large developments and a number of these projects are currently being considered by the Resource Management Act process around the country.
Others favour having a greater number of smaller projects.
This provides geographic diversity in addition to generating only an appropriate amount of energy for the needs of the community in which the wind farm is to be located.
Either way, hard choices have to be made. By choosing wind power we are not only choosing the cheapest form of generation available but also a fuel that complements and enhances our existing mix of generation.
The solution to New Zealand's electricity needs will not come from a single project. It will come from many appropriately sized lumps of generation being placed at or near where the demand is, using the fuel that is most appropriate in that location.
And, no, I haven't forgotten about power conservation. It is an essential strategy. My own home has energy-saving light bulbs, north-facing windows and solar hot water, but none of these things will keep my TV running. We need both conservation and generation.
So, yes, bold action is required to get New Zealand through the looming electricity shortfall but the real question is: will that bold action be a short-term stopgap, or will it be an investment in a 100 per cent renewable future that will keep generating power for as long as we need it?
I know which legacy I want to leave my children. Do you?
* Chris Freear is the CEO of NZ Windfarms Ltd.
