Source
https://www.mbie.govt.nz/building-and-energy/energy-and-natural-resources/energy-statistics-and-modelling/energy-publications-and-technical-papers/energy-in-new-zealand/energy-in-new-zealand-2024 — original source (opens in a new tab; the file is not redistributed)
Summary
MBIE’s annual comprehensive report on New Zealand’s energy supply and demand for the 2023 calendar year. Covers electricity generation, renewable penetration, gas reserves, oil supply, coal, energy prices, and energy intensity. The authoritative source for NZ-specific energy baseline data. Key 2023 headline: electricity generation from renewables reached 88.1% (record since 1981) driven by exceptional hydro conditions and rapid solar/wind growth. Simultaneously, NZ gas reserves declined sharply and liquid fuel supply became 100% import-dependent following the Marsden Point closure in 2022 — exposing structural energy vulnerabilities at the national level that community self-sufficiency design must account for.
Key claims
- NZ electricity generation 88.1% renewable in 2023 (record since 1981): Hydro 60.5% (26,309 GWh), Geothermal 18% (7,758 GWh), Wind 7% (3,206 GWh), Solar 1% (367 GWh), Gas 9% (4,097 GWh), Coal 2% (1,031 GWh). Total generation: 43,488 GWh. RD_001
- Solar PV capacity: 372 MW (+42.1% in 2023); NZ’s first utility-scale solar farm (Kohirā, 33 MW, Kaitaia) commissioned November 2023. Wind: 1,045 MW (+10.4%, Kaiwera Downs Stage 1 and Harapaki commissioned). RD_001
- NZ national energy self-sufficiency: 73% (unchanged 2023) — 27% of supply imported; oil products and gas are the key dependencies. RD_001
- NZ gas reserves fell 20% to 1,300 PJ in 2023; deliverability projected to fall below demand from 2027. Gas network covers North Island only. RD_001
- Marsden Point Oil Refinery ceased operations March 2022 — NZ 100% import-dependent for refined liquid fuels; Singapore is primary supplier. RD_001
- Total final consumption: 30.1% renewable — the gap to 88.1% electricity renewable reflects transport and industrial fossil fuel dependency. RD_001
- Geothermal: NZ’s largest renewable energy source at 206.24 PJ in 2023, concentrated in the Taupō Volcanic Zone. RD_001
- Biogas production: 3.8 PJ in 2023 (+4%), primarily landfill gas. RD_001
- Residential sector (13,237 GWh) surpassed industrial (12,903 GWh) as NZ’s largest electricity consumer for first time. 76,506 battery EVs at end 2023 (+161% since 2021). RD_001
Neobiome Intelligence relevance
D01: Provides the most current (2023 actual) NZ electricity generation mix, superseding the 2022 figures cited via LIT_002. Solar capacity has grown to 372 MW (vs 284 MW in 2022) and NZ’s first utility-scale solar farm is operational — confirming the solar trajectory. Wind additions continue.
I06: The 73% national self-sufficiency figure quantifies the structural gap community energy design is working against. Gas depletion (below-demand deliverability from 2027) eliminates gas as a long-term backup fuel option. Marsden Point closure makes all diesel backup power geopolitically exposed.
I09: The 88.1% renewable electricity figure confirms NZ’s grid is strongly renewable; community renewables are directionally aligned with national trajectory. The 30.1% total final consumption renewable share marks the frontier for electrification and EV uptake.
Complementarity with RD_007 (added 2026-05-31): RD_001 supplies the supply-side aggregates (MBIE energy balances) that feed EECA’s EEUD as top-down inputs; RD_007 provides the end-use disaggregation (sector × fuel × end-use × technology) at finer granularity. Use RD_001 for national totals and trends; use RD_007 for residential/commercial/industrial end-use decomposition. The two datasets are complementary (not duplicative) and should reconcile at the sector × fuel total level.
Connections
Links to
Sources (1): RD_007
Referenced by
Sources (7): OT_021 · OT_056 · RD_003 · RD_005 · RD_014 · RD_026 · RD_039
SSI indicators (2): I06: Resistance to External Shocks · I09: Environmental Sustainability
EDT domains (1): D01: Renewable Energy & Storage Systems