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Disclaimer: This information is an outline of drafting for potential changes to the Hydroelectric Power in NZ article. Please do not delete as this is a work in progress!

Things to consider: Balance information


 * Add in the contribution that the construction of hydro-electric power stations have made to life in New Zealand
 * Add in the economic wellbeing effect of hydroelectric power in the country
 * More recent history

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroelectric_power_in_New_Zealand

Formatting article reference:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy_in_Germany

Sources:

[1] https://www.mbie.govt.nz/assets/034fe4bc19/energy-policies-iea-countries-nz-2017-review-executive-summary.pdf

[2] https://www.ice.org.uk/what-is-civil-engineering/what-do-civil-engineers-do/hydroelectric-power-new-zealand

[3] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032111000700

Maybe Sources:

https://www.hydroreview.com/2017/02/21/new-zealand-state-owned-hydropower-provider-increased-earnings-in-2016/#gref

Revision to Generation:

In 2011, the New Zealand Energy Strategy (NZES) and New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy (NZEECS) were developed by the government to establish the main priorities of future hydroelectric power development. In 2016, the electric vehicle program was implemented. This program aims to double the number of electric vehicles used each year, with a target of 64,000 electric cars by 2021 [1].

In 2015, the distribution of renewable energy in the total power usage of New Zealand was 80.2%. It ranks second to Norway in countries with official plans to increase renewable power usage to 90% by 2025. This is due to the hydroelectricity expansion from investments in geothermal generation [1].

New Zealand has focuses its hydropower production in the South Island and transports energy to the North Island across high voltage wires in a transmission grid. There is a higher demand for energy in the North Island due to several major cities located there [1].

From 2008 to 2018, hydropower has generated almost 60% of total electricity production in New Zealand, with 82% generation from renewable resources [2]. Currently, New Zealand has over 100 hydroelectric power plants in use [2].

The graph shows a plateau in energy growth for hydroelectric power systems. There is room to expand on the current hydropower scales in New Zealand, however the industry will not change as drastically as it has in the 20th century [3]. Small unit growth and large run-of-river plants are the most prominent examples for future hydroelectric developments [3]. Many other renewable energy resources are competitors to hydroelectric because they are less expensive [3].

There are several barriers that prevent the development of hydroelectricity in New Zealand, including cost, geography, and systematic factors [3]. For example, New Zealand hydroelectric systems are low in storage volume. This means that maximum storage of energy is 34 days during the peak of winter [3]. If there is an unusual amount of precipitation one year, then there would be a shortfall in energy from the hydro system [3]. In addition, the cost benefit of using hydroelectric power over wind or geothermal energy in New Zealand is highly debated [3].

The cost of HE output relative to other renewable sources, particularly wind and geothermal energy, is a further impediment to development.

Revision to Summary:

Hydroelectricity is the primary source of renewable energy in New Zealand. Power is generated the most in the South Island and is used the most in the North Island [3].