A second word on power.

So the power switch is on, on the possible power crisis to come.

This morning we heard from Murray Wall, an energy consultant, who described the problem correctly. After 10 years of flat electricity use, we've seen a spike in the past year. Possibly because of the rise of the electric scooter, bicycle and car. But more likely is because the population is bigger and we've been growing at two to three per cent consistently through that decade.

The problem with that flat decade of use is that it lulled us into complacency because we are so short term in our vision.

We heard that again this morning. The gas valve that knocked out half our gas production should be fixed in the next couple of weeks and the spot price will stabilise. Well, that's great. But what do we do when the gas runs out in 10 years.

Which it will. We've been told this for, oh look at that, at least the last 10 years.

So in 20 years time how will Taylor Swift power her comeback stadium tour concert?

Well from the Energy Minister Megan Woods we hear the hope that more gas will be found.

Yeah, right says everyone. Hasn't the Government stopped exploration? Well yes and no.

The legislation should be passed next week and it stops exploration, in three years time.

There are something like 100 permits already issued and what you may have missed were recent announcements of a wealth of exploration that could see as many as 20 wells drilled or planned in the next two years. There's a bit of a frenzy because there's a deadline.

Even yesterday the exploration company Tamarind announced a drilling programme next year in the offshore Tui oilfield that could extend the life of the field by seven years and bring $110 million into the Taranaki economy, $80 million into household incomes and $90 million in taxes.

So this morning Megan Woods put her hopes in finding some gas. She says we still have permits for an area of the size of the North Island to explore. But you know that's putting an awfully big bet on a pretty weak hand over just three years. But let's say it works. The gamble pays off and we find some gas. Which only lasts another 10 years. Then what?

The hypocrisy is that the Minister is from a government transitioning to a low carbon economy praying that we find some carbon to burn to keep the lights on and our businesses operating. Newsflash Minister. At the moment 30 per cent of our power comes from burning carbon.

 

We complain about uncertainty in the business sector on things like labour laws. Well, uncertainty in water, power, food and petrol is a far far worse thing. These things are not ideological. They are the necessities of life and economies.

What upset me this morning was that I heard a Minister and an expert say we should get through this summer. That's not good enough for me. I want to know how we're all going to get through the summer in 20 years time.