Energy in New Zealand - statistics & facts

New Zealand's energy demand is just a fraction of the world's total consumption. Like many nations, energy is needed to support economically important industries and fuel day-to-day living in the country. Almost half of the energy consumed in the country was used to transport commodities and people. Although New Zealand had one of the highest rates of renewable energy as a portion of primary supply in the OECD, a significant percentage of energy is still derived from fossil fuels. Oil can be directly consumed as transportation fuel, and gas can be used for heating, while other energy sources must first be transformed into electricity.

Fossil fuel in energy supply

Oil and natural gas are main contributors to the country's primary energy supply. Over two-thirds of the petroleum products used as energy were imported, with the remaining produced in oil and gas fields in the Taranaki Basin. The Marsden Point Oil Refinery is the country's only oil refinery, delivering premium and regular gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and fuel oil, among other petroleum products. Natural gas is transmitted to distributors throughout the North Island via high-pressure gas transmission pipelines and sold to consumers by gas retailers, the largest being Contact Energy and Vector.

Electricity generation

New Zealand's demand for electricity was expected to rise as growth in population, gross domestic product, and wealth drive electricity consumption across residential, commercial and industrial sectors. Fortunately, New Zealand has abundant renewable resources that are used to supply around 80 percent of its electricity needs. The country's renewables sector includes geothermal, hydroelectricity, and wind energy sources. The New Zealand government has recently committed to sourcing 100 percent of the country's electricity from renewable sources by 2035. These ambitious plans mirror global trends, with many countries working towards becoming primarily fueled by renewable energy.

The future of energy is green

As the New Zealand government joins other global organizations and governments in addressing climate change, policy will likely dictate changes in how energy is sourced in the future. Investments in renewable energy and low-carbon solutions will contribute to the nation's emissions reduction target under the Paris Agreement. Furthermore, consumer habits are following the global paradigm shift, with green technology, such as electric vehicles, becoming more prevalent in everyday life.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by L. Granwal, May 10, 2023

Key insights

Leading source of energy
Oil
Residential electricity consumption
13.03k GWh
Share of electricity generated from renewable energy
81.1%
Get more insights

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Total primary energy supply in New Zealand in 2021, by source (in petajoules)

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Primary energy supply New Zealand 2021, by source

Share of electricity generated from renewable energy in New Zealand from 2011 to 2020

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Share of energy consumption in New Zealand 2021, by sector

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Energy consumption share in New Zealand 2021, by sector

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