Regional Policy Statement for Taranaki |
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| This page: | Part B Section 14 — Energy | 14.1 — Sustainable management |
14. Energy
14.1 Sustainably managing energy
Background to the issue
Energy is essential to the way we live our lives. Energy is only a resource insofar as other natural and physical resources (for example natural gas) may have their stored or potential energy released to do useful work. Energy, as a resource, is used to provide electricity, heat and transport. Energy enables people to provide for their well-being, health and safety, and is a key factor in the regional (and national) economy.
Taranaki contains very good sources of renewable and non-renewable energy. However, the region is nationally significant in that it is currently New Zealand's only hydrocarbon producing area. Taranaki is also a significant contributor to New Zealand's electricity generation and distribution infrastructure. Major generators include four hydroelectricity power stations (Mangorei, Motukawa, Patea and Opunake), the New Plymouth gas-fired Power Station, the Taranaki Combined Cycle Power Station at Stratford and several smaller generators and co-generation plants. Major gas and electricity transmission lines also traverse the region.
As New Zealand's energy consumption increases, the country faces specific challenges in relation to securing reliable and affordable energy supplies. In response to these challenges, Taranaki can, under the Resource Management Act, promote energy efficiency, energy conservation and the use of renewable energy resources. Changes made to the Resource Management Act in 2004 mean that energy efficiency and the use and development of renewable energy are matters to which the Council must have particular regard under Section 7 of the Act. Given the national context, it is important for local government to recognise the use and development of renewable energy and increasing energy efficiency and energy conservation as important resource management issues. In Taranaki, there is potential to develop renewable energy from wind, solar, marine, geothermal, and biomass energy sources and further opportunities to develop micro and mini hydroelectricity generation. The use and development of renewable energy can be in a number of forms. At the domestic scale there are various passive approaches including correct orientation of buildings towards the sun to assist passive heating, cooling and natural lighting. Significant gains can be made through solar water heating or solar panels in dwellings and there is potential for small scale wind generation.
Of the different renewable energy options currently commercially viable in New Zealand and overseas, the indication is that at the utility scale, wind energy is one that is likely to be given effect to in coming years. Parts of the region contain good in-situ wind resources as well as land capacity for wind energy facilities. Other options such as large scale solar generation, geothermal, biomass or wave energy may become more viable in the future. The technologies associated with some of these resources such as biomass and tidal, wave and ocean current are still developing. Possibilities for energy from biomass include ethanol for transport fuels from grain crops and electrical energy from biomass from forestry sources. Other probabilities are biomass from livestock farming and associated processing industries and from sewage and solid waste.
There is some remaining hydroelectricity generation potential in Taranaki mainly in mini, small and medium scale projects and potential also in energy from geothermal resources. However, it is likely that the temperatures and flow rates obtained from geothermal sources would be too low for electricity generation and would be more suited to direct use applications such as timber drying, dairy processing, horticulture, space heating and other applications. Temperatures in some abandoned oil and gas exploration wells are sufficient for a range of direct use applications provided adequate flows can be obtained.
Developments of renewable energy facilities can occur at a large scale or in environmentally sensitive areas and can potentially have adverse environmental effects. Particular issues include landscape and amenity effects or effects on river flows and instream ecology. Wind energy facilities for example by necessity are located in open or in elevated locations in coastal or rural areas and such facilities can have effects on landscape and amenity values that need to be assessed and considered.
Promoting energy efficiency involves making better use of energy resources and conserving energy resources. Making better use of energy can reduce demands on energy resources and energy costs and thereby delay the need for investment in new energy supplies and infrastructure. It can also improve energy security by reducing the possibility of energy demands exceeding the supply of energy that is economically or physically available.
Energy efficiency can also be promoted by reducing losses in the transmission of energy by, for example, locating energy production closer to points of use or demand.
There are other resource management issues relating to energy use, development and consumption. These issues relate to avoiding adverse environmental effects (including the effects of climate change) and providing for the safe and efficient operation of network utilities and other infrastructure of regional significance. These issues are not, however, unique to the energy sector and have been addressed in other sections of the Regional Policy Statement.
Energy is specifically identified under the RMA as a natural and physical resource whose sustainable management is to be promoted. To promote the sustainable management of energy it is necessary to promote an adequate supply of energy to enable people and communities to provide for their economic and social wellbeing and for their health and safety. It is also necessary to promote renewable energy and efficiency in the production, use and transmission of energy.
In addition one of the functions of regional council's under the RMA is the strategic integration of infrastructure with land use through objectives, policies and methods. This will assist in the efficient production, transmission and supply of energy in Taranaki.
Regional Councils and territorial authorities also address the environmental effects of energy production, transmission and supply. These issues are addressed elsewhere in this Regional Policy Statement.
The significant issues for the Taranaki region in relation to the sustainable management of energy under the Resource Management Act are:
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Promoting an adequate supply of energy to Taranaki and New Zealand.
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Promoting efficiency in the use, production and transmission of energy.
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Promoting the use and development of renewable energy resources. |
Objectives
ENE OBJECTIVE 1
To promote the exploration, development, production, transmission and distribution of energy to meet the energy supply needs of the region and New Zealand in a manner that avoids, remedies or mitigates adverse effects on the environment.
ENE OBJECTIVE 2
To promote the use and development of renewable sources of energy in a manner that avoids, remedies or mitigates adverse effects on the environment.
ENE OBJECTIVE 3
To increase efficiency in the exploration, development use, production, transmission and distribution of energy.
Policies
Energy supply
ENE POLICY 1
Provision will be made for the exploration, development, production, transmission and distribution of energy in Taranaki to enable people and communities access to an adequate supply of energy and thereby to provide for their economic and social wellbeing and for their health and safety.
Energy efficiency
ENE POLICY 2
Efficiency in the use, production and transmission of energy by users of natural and physical resources will be encouraged as far as is practicable and appropriate having particular regard to:
(a) energy requirements of urban form, subdivision patterns and site orientation;
(b) the design, location and operation of buildings and other structures;
(c) transport modes and patterns;
(d) use of appropriate energy saving technologies in industrial, commercial and residential situations;
(e) waste management including the minimisation, recovery, re-use and recycling of solid wastes and other contaminants, provided that the energy required to carry out these measures is less than that required to produce new products or materials;
(f) research into, and development of, alternative energy sources and more energy efficient methods (both traditional and alternative) in the production and transmission of energy; and
(g) the respective roles, functions, and responsibilities of particular agencies.
Promotion of renewable energy
ENE POLICY 3
The use and development of renewable energy resources will be promoted whilst avoiding, remedying or mitigating adverse effects on the environment as far as practicable.
Energy Transmission
ENE POLICY 4
Provisions shall be included that appropriately recognise the importance of corridors to facilitate the ongoing operation, maintenance, upgrading and development of energy transmission and the need to protect such corridors from activities that impede their efficient operation.
Explanation of the policies
Policies 1 to 4 give effect to the requirements of the Resource Management Act. In particular, they address matters set out in section 7 of the Resource Management Act - namely, the efficient use and development of natural and physical resources (section 7(b)), efficiency of the end use of energy (section 7(ba)) and the benefits to be derived from the use and development of renewable energy (section 7(j)).
Policy 1 seeks to ensure that Taranaki has an adequate supply of energy to meet the needs of people and communities in Taranaki and New Zealand. These energy needs may be met from either non-renewable or renewable sources.
Policy 2 seeks to encourage energy efficiency, thereby reducing the possibility of energy demands exceeding the economically or physically available supply of energy. Efficient use of energy is defined as consuming the minimum amount of energy for the maximum desired output. Policy 1 identifies a number of areas where (by reducing demands on energy resources or adopting energy conservation measures) regional and district councils can contribute to promoting energy efficiencies. The Government has adopted a target of at least a 20% improvement in economy-wide energy efficiency by 2012.
Policy 3 recognises that renewable sources of energy must be developed and maximised to ensure the secure supply of energy. Possible sources of renewable energy in Taranaki include hydro, wind, marine, solar, geothermal and biomass.
The Government has adopted a series of programme related targets for energy efficiency which seek to achieve 30 PJ of savings in non-transport energy per year by 2025, 9.5 PJ of additional direct use renewable energy per year by 2025 and 20 PJ of energy savings in the transport sector by 2015.
Encouraging the use and development of renewable energy resources under Policy 3 will also require consideration of the actual or potential adverse effects on the environment from development of renewable energy resources (including effects on people and communities), as well as the benefits to be obtained from such use and development. However, avoiding, remedying or mitigating adverse environmental effects as far as practicable under Policy 3 does not necessarily mean that any use and development of resources that avoids, remedies or mitigates adverse environmental effects as far as practicable, will be acceptable - adverse environmental effects must be managed in a way that gives effect to the Act's sustainable management purpose. Adverse effects may include impacts on areas of high landscape value; the amenity values enjoyed by nearby residents and communities; the natural character and ecological values of coastal areas and water bodies and effects on other competing uses of the same resource (such as recreational use of rivers and coastal areas and water abstraction for industry or community supply). The potential benefits of renewable energy include: added security and reliability of energy supply; reduction in greenhouse gas and other emissions to air; reductions in dependence on the national grid; reduction in transmission losses; economic development opportunities for the district or region and contribution to New Zealand's renewable energy target. An overall balancing of costs and benefits will be required but the use of renewable energy resources should promote the overall sustainable management of resources. The matters that may be considered in this regard include: the scale of the proposal (small, large, widespread, site-specific); the degree of effect (extent, coverage, magnitude); the type of effects (variety, characteristics); benefits (local, regional, national); the environmental values affected and whether these values are of local, regional or national significance; and the extent to which effects can be avoided, remedied or mitigated.
Because of the circumstances around the development of specific renewable energy proposals will vary widely according to the individual proposal and its location, consideration of all other related issues, objectives and policies in this Regional Policy Statement will be required. These matters will be considered in more detail when regional and district plans are prepared or reviewed or when individual development proposals are being considered.
The National Grid is a dynamic and linear inter-regional network. With structures of such a significant scale there is a reduced ability to avoid, remedy or mitigate adverse effects. Corridors are important for the efficient transmission of energy. The operation, maintenance and future development of the transmission network can be significantly constrained by the adverse environmental impact of encroaching activities and development (reverse sensitivity). Interference with these corridors from vegetation planting or the construction of buildings and other structures near lines can cause power outages or disruption to power supplies that can affect the reliability of supply to users and the overall efficiency of transmission. Recognition of the existing transmission line corridors within the Taranaki region would ensure that non-compatible land uses are kept away from the lines and any potential adverse effects on the lines are avoided, remedied or mitigated thereby ensuring that the corridors can continue to meet the ongoing energy needs of the community. Additionally, it will ensure that adverse effects of the transmission lines are avoided, remedied or mitigated and that the security of electricity within the district and beyond is maintained. Policy 4 highlights the need to recognise this issue in resource management and is also directly promoted by Policies 2 and 5 of the National Policy Statement on Electricity Transmission (NPSET) 2008.
Related policies
All policies in Sections 5.1 [Soil erosion]; Section 5.2 [Soil health]; Section 5.3 [Hazardous substances and contaminated sites]; Section 6.1 [Sustainable water allocation]; Section 6.2 [Surface water quality]; Policy 1 in Section 6.5 [Land drainage and associated diversions]; all the policies in Section 6.6 [Use of river and lake beds] and Section 6.7 [Public access to rivers and lakes]; Policy 1 in Section 7.1 [Air quality]; Policy 1 in Section 7.2 [Climate change]; all the policies in Section 8.1 [Natural character of the coastal environment]; Section 8.2 [Coastal water quality]; and Section 8.3 [Public access to the coastal environment]; Policies 1 and 2 in Section 9.1 [Indigenous biodiversity]; all the policies in Section 10.1 [Natural features and landscapes]; Section 10.2 [Historic heritage]; Section 10.3 [Amenity values]; Section 11 [Natural hazards]; Section 12 [Waste management]; Section 13 [Minerals]; Section 15.1 [Sustainable urban development]; Section 15.2 [Regionally significant infrastructure]; and Section 16 [Issues of significance to iwi].
Methods of implementation
The Taranaki Regional Council will:
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Advocate, as appropriate, to: (a) (central government that it: - develop and implement national policies and strategies or codes of practices that contribute to sustainable management of energy; - support innovation and research in energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, practices and processes; - facilitate research and development in order to enable New Zealand to continue to meet its energy needs; and - ensure reliable and affordable energy supply; - district councils that district plans are consistent with the objectives, policies and methods of the Regional Policy Statement regarding energy efficiency and the promotion of renewable energy; and - relevant industries, agencies and other groups on proposed developments, policies or management strategies that are likely to have a particularly significant impact on the sustainable management of energy and associated natural and physical resources.
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Participate, as appropriate, in central government initiatives in the formulation and implementation of a New Zealand energy strategy, consistent with the Council's statutory functions.
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Support the development of industry code of practices for renewable energy production.
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Include provisions in regional plans that make appropriate provision for the exploration, development, production, transmission and distribution of energy.
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Have regard to opportunities, and provide appropriate encouragement for the use and development of renewable energy in the preparation and review of regional plans.
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Support the provision of advice and information to landowners, resource users and the public and in the management of the region's natural and physical resources: (a) generally promote awareness of sustainable energy issues; (b) promote the conservation and efficiency of use of energy; and (c) promote the use and development of renewable energy.
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Continue to gather information on the state of technology and potential future technologies for energy efficiency and the use and development of renewable energy.
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Maintain and implement as appropriate: (a) the Regional Land Transport Strategy for Taranaki that encourages and promotes the efficient use of energy in the transport sector; and (b) the Regional Waste Management Strategy for Taranaki that seeks to promote waste minimisation and recycling.
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Consider membership of the Communities for Climate Change Protection (New Zealand), which would involve the Council taking actions including the implementation, monitoring and reporting of an action plan to increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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Territorial authorities may wish to consider the following methods:
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Include provisions in district plans that make appropriate provision for the exploration, development, production, transmission and distribution of energy.
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Include provisions in district plans promoting energy efficient urban forms and travel patterns, subdivision patterns and site orientation.
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Encourage energy efficient building design.
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Include provisions in district plans that encourage the development of renewable energy resources.
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Advocate for efficiency in the use of energy at the domestic, household residential level as well as on a larger commercial scale.
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Develop and implement district land transport programmes that give appropriate consideration to the efficient use of energy in the transport sector.
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Principal reasons for adopting the objective, policies and methods
The objective, policies and methods of implementation establish a policy framework for promoting energy efficiency and the use and development of renewable energy sources.
It is not considered appropriate in the Regional Policy Statement to impose regulatory management of energy generation or transmission beyond the requirements set out in the Resource Management Act (e.g. the control of abstractions and discharges). The Ministry of Economic Development, Electricity Commission and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, are primarily responsible for national energy policy setting, and for regulating and providing information on the sustainable management of energy. However, regional councils have an important leadership and integration role within the region in supporting, planning for, and in the management of sustainable energy development as well as providing appropriate guidance to district councils. Through the provision of advice and information, advocacy and the consideration of energy related matters when developing policy in this Regional Policy Statement and in regional plans, the Taranaki Regional Council will support and encourage energy efficiency and the use and development of renewable energy.
Territorial authorities, through their control of land use and urban development, and their functions under the Building Act, have further opportunities to encourage energy efficiency and the use and development of renewable energy. Broader advocacy methods are also consistent with the matters of energy efficiency and conservation and increased use of renewable energy included in Section 7 of the Act. This Statement is to have particular regard to the benefits to be derived from the use and development of renewable energy. This is to be considered within a wider context of central government project and policy frameworks to address climate change, continued improvement in energy efficiency and an increase in consumer energy to be supplied from renewable sources. Parts of the region could provide significant renewable energy resources (for example from wind) and these have the potential to contribute significantly to renewable energy development in New Zealand.
Provisions in regional and district plans could be developed to reflect differences in scale, and therefore environmental effects of renewable energy projects. For example, domestic or small scale developments such as domestic solar or wind or micro hydro developments, with minor or acceptable environmental effects, could be provided for in plans (subject to appropriate conditions) to promote such developments. Whilst renewable energy developments provide recognised environmental and economic benefits they can also have potential adverse environmental effects that must be considered. The development of some renewable energy sources such as wind energy facilities need to occur at specific locations. These locations may include ridgelines, hilltops or other elevated positions or coastal or rural locations.
There are numerous variables that need to be considered when a site is being assessed for renewable energy developments such as wind facilities. Of significance is the presence of a viable resource. However other important aspects include constructability, access via transmission to the national grid or local electricity distribution network, environmental factors, land tenure and the potential scale of development. All these aspects may combine to limit the availability of commercially viable wind energy and other renewable energy facility sites. This can lead to potential conflict with landscape and amenity values and the nature, scale and intensity of development. However, renewable energy developments such as wind energy facilities may be able to successfully co-exist if adverse effects on the environment, including the natural character of the coast, ecological, heritage, landscape and amenity values and cumulative impacts are appropriately avoided, remedied or mitigated. Most of these potential conflicts will need to be carefully managed and assessed on a case-by-case basis via district plan provisions. For larger scale developments with more significant environmental effects, plans could clearly set out the matters that the Councils would consider in assessing such projects.
The policies and methods build on current approaches to this issue. They have proven to be acceptable to date in terms of promoting effective integrated management and achieving desired environmental outcomes and are considered appropriate having regard to their efficiency and effectiveness and their benefits and costs.
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Environmental results anticipated ENE ER 1 An adequate supply of energy to meet the needs of people and communities in Taranaki and New Zealand. ENE ER 2 Increased public awareness of energy conservation and efficiency. ENE ER 3 Increased use and development of renewable energy resources. |