Government wants to double geothermal energy by 2040

Government wants to double geothermal energy by 2040
NZ's latest geothermal station at Tauhara. (Image: NZME)
Ian Llewellyn
The Government has laid out a draft plan to double geothermal energy production for electricity generation and direct heat applications by 2040.Resources Minister Shane Jones said despite New Zealand’s access to geothermal fields, technical expertise and long history with the energy source, it was nowhere near using its full potential.Geothermal has made up about 20% of electricity in recent years. This is all base load, almost consistently providing electricity at a near-consistent level outside maintenance and breakdowns.This is importa...

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