Prime Minister Luxon’s idea to move NZ to an electric economy is poorly costed, poorly planned, has no tangible benefits and is probably impossible anyway.

Across the globe the push to replace hydrocarbon energy sources with sun and wind power is failing miserably.

Despite a capital investment of more than $9.5 trillion over the past two decades, alternative energy sources have not even got close to replacing hydrocarbons as a global energy source.

Wind and solar currently supply less than 4% of the world’s energy, while total electric vehicle penetration is less than 3%.

This century, hydrocarbon share of the energy mix has only fallen from 83% to 80%. Oil demand has increased over the same period by 100 million barrels per day, and this year will probably reach an all time high.

Gas production has also grown by 70% since the start of the century, as it has increasingly replaced coal. A change that is responsible for a 70% fall in US CO2 emissions.

Meanwhile, over the last fifteen years, the use of wind and solar has only reduced total oil consumption by a pitiful 15 million barrels.

Even less impressive when one considers that simply increasing efficiency in hydrocarbon fuel use has saved about six times that figure.

In New Zealand, Emeritus Professor of Engineering Mike Kelly has published a paper estimating the costs to the country if it is to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. (download at link below)

Professor Kelly says the electrification of transport and heating will require an increase in generating capacity from the present 155 PJ to 425 PJ. It will cost an estimated $550 billion to build the generation and distribution systems needed to provide this increase.

To comply with relevant global agreements (Kyoto etc), this work has to be completed within the next 26 years (2050).

It will therefore require a massive workforce equal in size to the health sector with at least double the present number of electrical engineers.

NZ will also need to acquire about 10% of the annual global production of necessary rare earth minerals such as lithium, cobalt, and neodymium.

Given every other western nation is also trying to achieve the same objective, it is pretty clear the world will run out of cobalt and other necessary minerals long before we get anywhere close to net zero.

The question must be asked: Why does Mr Luxon persist with this lunacy?

If we had a real media, they would demand that the Prime Minister comes clean on the issue of renewables, and they would go on asking until the numerous questions hanging over the objective of Net Zero are fully answered.

We won’t hear any such explanation, because apparently the incurious legacy media is as much invested in the scam as Mr Luxon is. Too bad for the working stiffs of NZ who will end up bearing the brunt of this disastrous and sinister folly.

Download report- Net Zero For New Zealand