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Other government agencies also helped bankroll a highly critical report into the economic impact of the previous government's emissions trading scheme (ETS), Solid Energy says.
The Greens have accused the state-owned coal company of working to undermine government policy after it was revealed it contributed $214,000 towards a report that painted a dire picture of the economic consequences of the ETS.
Solid Energy today defended its contribution to $1.3 million of research on ETS schemes carried out by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER) as legitimate research.
The report, presented to a select committee considering the ETS legislation last year, predicted it would cost households about $3000 a year by 2025 and reduce the average wage by about $90 a week.
But it appears Solid Energy was not the only government agency to contribute towards the report.
A briefing from Solid Energy to then energy minister Trevor Mallard last year said the other $1.1 million of NZIER's research was funded by "a range of companies and organisations, including government departments".
The briefing note, released today, does not identify which departments contributed.
NZIER chief executive Jean Pierre de Raad also declined to say which departments had contributed, saying none of the other organisations that funded the research had agreed to their identities being released.
A Solid Energy spokeswoman said the research was used to help formulate its position on the ETS and its submission to the select committee which considered the legislation last year.
She said the state-owned enterprise (SOE) often contracted private sector research on issues that could affect it where it lacked in-house expertise.
It had also contributed $24,000 last year to another NZIER research project it would not disclose.
The spokeswoman said the SOE had briefed Mr Mallard on the research.
A spokesman for Duty Minister Wayne Mapp today said the research expenditure of SOEs was an operational matter for them and their boards.
Solid Energy's backing of the research has raised eyebrows, given the highly critical nature of the NZIER report.
It revealed the details of its funding in response to an Official Information Act request.
- NZPA
