Quarterly share of renewable energy remains high despite record low hydro levels

The latest Energy Quarterly data release from the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE) shows despite hydro generation dipping to the lowest March quarter since 1987, increased solar and geothermal generation kept the overall share of renewable generation high at 83.2%, says Karlene Tipler, Head of Data Service Delivery.

“Dry weather conditions in the March quarter saw wind and hydro generation dip as geothermal and solar energy shined.

“Weather conditions saw wind generation slow 21.1%, while record low levels of water entering hydro storage lakes in January and February, resulted in a 15.1% drop in hydro generation compared to the same quarter last year.

“Geothermal generation rose by 20.4%, boosted by new capacity added last year. Solar generation also surged, up 60.7% from March 2024. A contributor was Te Herenga o Te Rā, the first solar farm directly connected to the national grid.

“In June 2012 when hydro generation dropped to a comparable record low, coal and gas made up 35% of electricity generation to meet demand. However, thanks to new solar and geothermal capacity built since, only 17% was needed this quarter.

“Total electricity consumption for the quarter was 9,250 GWh, a 3.1% decrease from March quarter 2024.  Electricity consumption from Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing fell 15.4%, Commercial fell 2.0%, Industrial fell 2.3%, and Residential stayed steady with a 0.8% decline.

“Natural gas prices increased across all sectors this March quarter compared to the previous March quarter. After adjusting for inflation, Residential was up 18.5%, Commercial up 20.5%, Industrial up 14.9%, and Wholesale up 12.8%. Petrol and diesel prices, however, decreased 5.1% and 9.8% respectively compared to March 2024. This can be attributed to crude oil prices falling and the removal of the Auckland Regional Fuel tax in June.

This data, along with full energy quarterly results, data, and graphs can be read on the MBIE website:

New Zealand Energy Quarterly

2025 quarter 2 results will be announced on 11 September 2025.