Weird weather, water and energy scares: graphs tell a story

Te Anau is near its minimum operating level. (Image: Keith Lyons, NIWA, taken late February)

Mon, 10 Mar 2025

The current dry spell is causing a few worries in the electricity sector, but there is no sense of panic yet.Rain in some catchments last week hardly dampened the decline.Consultants Energy Link said the past four weeks in the South Island had been the driest in records going back to 1931. The graph above shows this year’s weather pattern is similar to last year's, though the drought hit earlier.In 2024, the dry spell of May through August coincided with a gas shortfall, sending wholesale electricity prices to record highs....

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