Electricity generation continues to increase

By NZPA

Tuesday 3rd September 2002

Total energy generation rose by a seasonally adjusted 1.3 percent in the three months ending June, compared with the March quarter, Statistics New Zealand said today.

Hydro generation accounted for 57 percent of the electricity generated during the quarter, against a June quarter average of 66 percent over the past decade.

Prices for commercial electricity users fell 1.5 percent in the June quarter, compared with March, but prices were 6.2 percent higher than the same quarter a year earlier.

Prices for household consumers rose 1.9 percent in June on the previous quarter, and were 4.5 percent higher than a year ago.

Gas production rose to 258,000 terajoules in the year ended June 2002, up 3.1 percent on the previous year. Gas is a leading source of thermal energy for electricity generation.

Natural gas prices rose 0.4 percent for commercial users and 0.7 percent for household consumers in June compared with the March quarter.

Compared with the June 2001 quarter, commercial gas prices were 4.7 percent higher, while prices for households were 5.4 percent higher.

Production of crude petrol was 1.1 million tonnes in the year to June, a fall of 8.6 percent on a year ago.

The price of bulk petrol for commercial users rose 6.9 percent in the June quarter compared with March, and was 0.4 percent higher than the previous year. The price of bulk diesel was 6.3 percent higher on a quarter-by-quarter basis, but 4.2 percent lower than in June 2001.

Retail petrol prices rose 10 percent compared with the March quarter, but were 3.9 percent lower than a year earlier. Prices for diesel and LPG were 8 percent higher in the June quarter than in March, but 7.9 percent lower than in June 2001.

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