Energy in Context

In essence, there is a considerable dissatisfaction with current energy provision, including electricity, and people are asking how we can do better in meeting our future energy needs and what are the alternatives?

Community Level

As part of the consultation for the draft Regional Energy Strategy (2004), a community engagement programme was held in 2005 (see seminars and background paper here).

One of the outcomes was to create ‘community energy’, and many sustainability groups have taken up that issue. Find out what communities in your region and beyond are busy with here.

Regional Level

• ECan is your regional council and working on energy matters in four main ways
• Monitoring – e.g. undertaking the biennial regional energy survey and undertaking sector energy audits
• Policy Making and Planning – adopting the Regional Energy Strategy and developing energy action plans
• Investigations – e.g. the projected impacts of Peak Oil and climate change on council services and operations
• Operations – e.g. providing community information and providing support for demonstration projects (displaying energy efficiency and sustainable energy use).

Learn more about the regional context or read the Draft Regional Energy Strategy (full report and executive summary) and check out progress on collaboration with key stakeholders regarding regional energy security issues, the Canterbury Regional Energy Strategy Project.

National Level

The Draft National Energy Strategy was released in December 23006, aiming at a sustainable and affordable energy system for New Zealand. However, ‘Energy’ is covered throughout many key programmes and legislation – an overview can be found here.