Power Prices: Capacity Isn't The Same As Generation

Tim Wilson from the Maxim Institute discusses the think tank's new report on New Zealand's electricity sector ahead of the election, as rising power bills become a key voter concern. He joins Andrew Urquhart to unpack confusion around energy policy debates, noting a Consumer NZ survey found 55% of Kiwis say power costs will affect their vote.

Wilson argues politicians often mislead with slogans about "lower prices," when in reality costs are simply shifted from consumers to taxpayers rather than reduced. He also warns against confusing generation "capacity" (megawatts) with actual output, pointing out solar and wind only produce electricity a fraction of the time, meaning New Zealand's renewable advantage can overstate true reliability and still require costly backup generation. ([www.maxim.org.nz](https://www.maxim.org.nz))

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