New Zealand already gets almost 94% of its electricity from low-carbon sources—an impressive achievement. Over the 12 months from August 2025 to July 2026, hydropower supplied about 59% of electricity, geothermal almost 22%, wind 9% and solar 3%. Fossil fuels supplied just over 6%, comprising roughly 5% gas and 2% coal. The next challenge is to extend this clean-electricity success to transport, heating and industry through electrification, which will require much more electricity.

Is Electricity Growing in New Zealand?

Despite this strong clean-electricity share, electricity consumption per person remains well below its historical peak. The latest 2026 figure is about 8,200 kWh per person, compared with the 2004 record of 10,450 kWh—roughly 2,200 kWh, or 21%, lower. Low-carbon electricity generation is about 7,700 kWh per person, around 530 kWh, or 6%, below its 1995 record. These figures do not establish whether total electricity consumption is currently growing, but they show that electricity use and clean generation per person have not surpassed earlier highs. That shortfall is concerning as electrification and growing digital infrastructure create additional demand.

Suggestions

New Zealand can increase low-carbon electricity generation by accelerating solar deployment on rooftops and at utility scale, alongside further geothermal and wind development and upgrades to existing hydropower facilities. Expanding transmission, storage and flexible electricity demand would help deliver more clean electricity where and when it is needed. New Zealand should also consider nuclear power as a potential source of additional low-carbon generation, assessing its role alongside solar and other clean technologies in meeting future electricity demand. The priority should be abundant clean electricity that supports electrification and reduces reliance on fossil fuels, cutting climate pollution and improving air quality.

History

The supplied historical figures show substantial year-to-year swings in hydropower generation. During the late 1970s and 1980s, several annual increases of around 2–3 TWh were interrupted by a decline of nearly 2 TWh in 1976. The 1990s were more mixed: strong gains in 1993–1994 and 1998 contrasted with declines in 1992, 1997 and 1999. The early 2000s brought particularly large fluctuations, including gains of 3.2 TWh in 2002 and 3.6 TWh in 2004, followed by a 3.9 TWh fall in 2005; generation rose again in 2009 before declining in 2012. More recently, hydropower increased by 2 TWh in 2022, fell by 2.8 TWh in 2024 and recovered by 1.8 TWh in 2026. These fluctuations underline the value of expanding a diverse clean-electricity supply.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

* 12M = Last 12 months (Aug 2025 – Jul 2026) — a rolling 12-month period, not a calendar year.