Ref. no. DOIA 2223-2036
11 April 2023
J Bruning
[FYI request #22064 email]
Dear J Bruning,
Thank you for your email of 10 March 2023 to the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
(MBIE), requesting the following under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act):
1.
All plans/reports/forecasts from 2017 onwards, analysing projected energy needs to
2035 by sector/industry (industrial, transport, commercial, residential, agriculture) to
support the wellbeing of the citizens of Aotearoa New Zealand and the New Zealand
economy.
2.
Allowing for transitional shifts in energy supply, please supply all plans/reports/forecasts
from 2017 onwards detailing breakdowns of percentage/units of each energy sector
expected to supply energy to each of the above sectors over this time:
a.
renewable electricity (by renewable sector water/hydrothermal/wind /sea etc);
b.
coal
c.
gas
d.
biofuel
3.
All reports/estimates/reviews and information detailing sources of biofuels (including
feedstock).
4.
All papers/plans/reports advice and information outlining the changing ownership
structure of the energy sector to 2035 from 2020 onwards. I.e., publicly owned assets,
public-private or private.
5.
All available New Zealand-based literature reviews of the scientific information and
white and grey papers assessing costs, human rights implications and pollution impact
of renewable energy infrastructure development in (a) low-income and (b) high-income
nations. This includes total energy required to mine, manufacture and ship
infrastructure and technologies to New Zealand. This includes projected lifecycles of the
renewable energy infrastructure.
On 20 March 2023, MBIE sought clarification and refinement of your request. On 29 March 2023, you
refined your request to:
4.
All papers/plans/reports advice and information outlining the changing ownership
structure of the energy sector to 2035 from 2020 onwards. I.e., publicly owned assets,
public-private or private.
Building, Resources & Markets
E [email address]
W www.mbie.govt.nz
5
All available New Zealand-based literature reviews of the scientific information and
white and grey papers assessing costs, human rights implications and pollution impact
of renewable energy infrastructure development in (a) low-income and (b) high-income
nations. This includes total energy required to mine, manufacture and ship
infrastructure and technologies to New Zealand. This includes projected lifecycles of the
renewable energy infrastructure.
Section 4 - reports specifically dedicated to this subject.
Section 5 - specifically concerns questions of ethical stewardship for non-renewable
infrastructure, such as worker conditions where minerals are sourced, wind turbines, solar cells
lifecycles, recycling of electric vehicles and pollution along the chain from the mine to disposal.
I.e. what literature reviews and reports have considered non GHG externalities relating to the
lifecycle of renewable energy infrastructure inputs.
Regarding part 4 of your request, MBIE has identified two documents relevant to your request, that
being:
•
The New Zealand Infrastructure Strategy 2022-2052 (https://strategy.tewaihanga.govt.nz/strategy)
•
the 2021
New Zealand Public Private Partnership Model Review
(https://www.tewaihanga.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/TeWaihanga_New_Zealand_Public_Private_Pa
rtnership_Model_Review.pdf).
We note these are not specific to energy infrastructure, however, we consider these to be relevant
strategy and review documents that detail application of public-private partnerships in Crown
Infrastructure. As these documents are publicly available via the links provided above, part 4 of your
request is refused under section 18(d) of the Act.
No further reports or papers have been identified relevant to energy ownership models.
Regarding part 5 of your request, we appreciate that you have refined your request, and your effort to
help clarify it. However, we have been unsuccessful in refining our search terms in such a way that
would reduce the substantial collation and research needed to identify whether we hold such literature
reviews, as literature reviews, grey or white papers, may be accessed by any given staffer, on any
number of projects, so we are unable to identify relevant experts to check their own records. Further,
such documents are not readily identifiable in our Electronic Document and Record Management
System. For example, a search of “Renewable Energy” and “Human Rights” capturing records from the
last three years returns 2300 results. Therefore, at this stage, part 5 of your request is refused under
section 18(f) of the Act, as the information requested cannot be made available without substantial
collation or research.
MBIE would like to invite you to meet with officials via a Microsoft Teams call, to further discuss the
information you are interested in receiving, as minimal information has been provided in this response.
If you wish to proceed with this approach, we invite you to email:
[email address], from a private
email address, referencing this request (DOIA 2223-2036), so that we can arrange such a meeting.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of MBIE’s decision on your
request, in accordance with section 28(3) of the Act. The relevant details can be found at:
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz. Yours sincerely
Tamara Linnhoff
Manager, Electricity Generation, Infrastructure and Markets Policy
Energy and Resource Markets
