By Celsias Team
Posted on Aug. 10, 2010. Listed in:
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s energy strategy has received a funding boost thanks to New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE), who has approved the council's development application for regional economic development activities. The approval includes funding to complete work started last year on an energy strategy for the Bay of Plenty.
The strategy is linked to the governments recently released and heavily debated Draft New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy. The hope is that the strategy will bring a wide perspective to energy sources and use in the Bay of Plenty and how they can be applied to create wealth opportunities.
It will look at a wide range of aspects relating to energy, including conservation, renewable sources, security of supply, export opportunities, new and emerging technologies and employment opportunities.
Rotorua District Council’s Chief Executive Peter Guerin says the most important aspect from Rotorua’s perspective is what the strategy will say about using geothermal resources.
“We are very interested to see how new technologies could be employed to unlock use of geothermal energy for use in domestic, business and industry in the Rotorua area,” says Guerin. “Not only are we looking to drive economic growth, we are also keen to see the district utilise cleaner energy sources to address problems such as our air quality.”
Regional Governance Group member Anthony Olsen has a special interest in geothermal energy use and supports the strategy.
“Outcomes from this strategy will demonstrate how the wide ranging opportunities relating to sustainable energy can be harnessed in an integrated and collaborative way for the economic benefit for all of our communities.”
Work on the energy strategy will commence in the next few months and will be coordinated with work being done on a forestry strategy for the Bay, which has also received NZTE funding.
The strategy is expected to be released for comment at an energy forum early next year.
Image: Flickr - Reinis Traidas
