Kathryn George/Stuff
The cyclone could cut either way for the mooted Lake Onslow power scheme.
For Stuff’s climate election survey, we asked parties about low-carbon solutions when the hydro lakes run low.
You can find a quick-compare table, summarising parties’ environmental policies, here.
The weather presents the biggest barrier to getting 100% renewable power. Hydro lakes provide nearly 60% of annual electricity. When the large lakes supplying these stations fall low during a dry year, there are few reliable options to make up the shortfall.
Gas generation can be ramped up, but there have been supply issues during recent dry years. Coal is easy to store, but is the highest-polluting fossil fuel.
The Government appointed an expert panel to investigate feasible low-carbon alternatives to coal burning during dry years. The list has been whittled down to two options.
STUFF
A shallow lake nestled high in the Central Otago hill country could electrify the country.
The first would transform the natural Lake Onslow in Central Otago into a massive pumped-hydro power station, which would use electricity at cheap, off-peak times to pump water up – and would be released to generate electricity during a dry year. The second is a multi-technology option, which would include an array of back-up generation including biomass-burning and geothermal.
Next year, the expert group is set to announce its preferred option.
Here’s each party’s position.
The party supported the ongoing investigations into both options, though wanted measures “such as wide roll-out of rooftop solar” to be in the mix.
Labour will continue the process.
The party supported the ongoing work into both options.
National will cancel the investigations into Lake Onslow and the multi-tech option.
Act would also call off the Lake Onslow investigation. The party said it would let the expert group continue work on the multi-technology option.
