For this reason, we’re supporting the Smart Energy Alliance NZ – a coalition of New Zealand business, consumer and energy organisations advocating for a renewable‑led national energy strategy and opposing the LNG import terminal proposal.
If LNG is the answer, we're asking the wrong question.
The LNG proposal treats energy as scarce, something we need to top up with imported fuel. That's outdated thinking.
The case for LNG rests on the idea that Aotearoa New Zealand needs cover for dry years and cold snaps. Fair enough. But the LNG fix on the table brings real risks.
LNG prices are set on world markets, driven by geopolitics and supply shocks we can't control. Locking in LNG as a fuel source locks that volatility into our power bills.
An LNG terminal isn't a quick fix. It commits us to 15 or more years of imported gas, just as electrification speeds up and renewable costs fall.
The public is being asked to back a $ 1- 2.7 billion investment, potentially funded through levies on power bills, without full visibility of the modelling behind it.
It locks in the wrong future for our climate and our nature.
We could use that $ 1- 2.7 billion investment into converting gas users into renewable alternatives i.e. like EECA’s Government Investment in Decarbonising Industry Fund was designed to do.
Every dollar spent on imported gas infrastructure is a dollar not spent on the renewable future we actually need. That future includes more electric transport, more energy-efficient business and industry, and more diverse, high-value jobs. We don't get there by importing gas. We get there by building our own home-grown energy, faster.
Make our energy here
A grid built on distributed, local renewables like rooftop solar, batteries and community generation is more resilient. It copes better with storms and extreme weather than one that depends on a single imported fuel arriving on a ship. As climate-driven weather events become more frequent, that resilience isn't a nice-to-have. It's essential infrastructure.
We support the approach by Smart Energy Alliance NZ to shift from imported fuel to renewable energy made here. That means:
Rapid investment in wind, geothermal, rooftop solar and batteries, so more value stays in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Faster electrification of homes, transport and industry, backed by efficient heat pumps, better building design and more EV charging.
Smarter use of biofuels for the jobs that are genuinely hard to electrify.
A more flexible grid that rewards households and businesses for the solar and batteries they already have.
Auckland Council provides a good example of the shift to homemade energy. Its Project Gigawatt solar rollout across 40 buildings saves about $600,000 a year in electricity costs. Phasing out gas boilers at pools and leisure centres is on track to cut emissions by roughly 190 tonnes annually.
What this means for your business
Small and medium businesses and households feel energy costs most directly and are best placed to benefit from a faster shift to local renewables.
Rising energy bills are already squeezing SMEs' ability to invest and grow. A cheaper, locally made energy system eases that pressure.
Local renewable energy keeps energy spending in Aotearoa New Zealand, supporting local jobs in installation, manufacturing and services.
It opens the door for SMEs to innovate, from smarter building design to new products and services built around distributed energy, batteries and efficiency.
Energy made here means more predictable costs, more local jobs and a faster path to the low-carbon economy your customers increasingly expect. It also means a fairer energy system, one that shares the benefits of cheaper power more evenly, not just the costs.
If you want Aotearoa New Zealand's energy future built at home, the upcoming General Election is where that gets decided. SBN will keep pushing for a system that backs local renewable energy over imported gas and delivers for climate, nature, equity and small businesses alike.
We'll share more as the picture develops. We will also keep offering support with electrification and efficiency through our partnership with EECA.
Learn what you can do to electrify your business today.