Science Centres: Energy

Hydro and wind powers up

Electricity generation by hydro and wind has just set a new record.

According to Statistics New Zealand, hydro and wind generation reached 7663 gigawatt hours in the September 2004 quarter – the highest quarterly volume ever recorded. Thermal generation, by contrast, stood at 3092 gigawatt hours, which is 26% lower than in the September 2003 quarter.

The September quarter figures show electricity generation for hydro and wind was 27.4% higher than in the same period last year. In the September 2004 quarter, hydro and wind generation supplied 71% of the electricity generated, compared with 59% in the September 2003 quarter. This lower contribution in the September 2003 quarter is being attributed to low lake levels.

Statistics New Zealand says that over the past 10 years, the average September quarterly contribution of hydro and wind generation to total electricity generation has been 65%. Renewable resources, such as hydro, wind, geothermal, and biomass, were used to produce 77% of the electricity generated for supply to consumers in the September 2004 quarter.