John MacDonald: Time to think bigger than solar panels on the roof

Whatever happened to this country’s ability to think big on the energy front?  

And why is it that we’re not doing the same with solar energy and why are our politicians relying on households to do the heavy lifting?

I mention thinking big intentionally. Because that’s what we did back in the 1970s and 1980s, especially with the big hydro power schemes.

These days, though, instead of thinking big about energy we’re tinkering around the edges.

The latest example is Labour’s solar energy policy which, like National’s policy which came out the other week, is all about getting more households going solar.

Essentially, both policies focus on giving people the chance to take out a cheap loan to pay for solar panels and batteries.

Some banks already offer this. But you have to have a mortgage with them to qualify.

Labour’s policy has a few extras. Such as option for renters to use plug-in panels, which are all the rage in some overseas countries, apparently.

But I reckon that, if our politicians are really serious about using solar to get cheaper and more reliable power supplies, then they need to be thinking bigger than just solar panels on the roof.

And we should be investing in state-owned solar farms.

Instead of relying on people to take out loans and put panels on top of their houses, the government should have some skin in the game and get into the business of mass solar generation itself.

If it was good enough for us to build big hydro power stations back in the day, the state should be doing something similar and building massive solar farms.

You could say it’s already doing a bit of that, with its shareholding in the big power generators.

But I think it could and should do more.

Because, as much as Labour and National will tell us that it’s all about dealing with the cost of living and reducing household power bills, that’s not the real issue.

The real challenge is ensuring we have enough power to keep the lights on at the likes of big manufacturing plants.

That’s the real challenge facing us. And that’s where solar can play a vital role. But we’re not going to do that with you and I getting a cheap loan and adding a few panels and a battery to the house.

Which is why I think large-scale government investment and ownership of big solar farms would be an absolute no-brainer.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from News Talk ZB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Whatever happened to this country's ability to think big on
the energy front? Whatever happened to that? Eh? And why
is it that we're not doing the same with solar energy?
And why is it that these politicians are relying on
householders to do the heavy lifting?

Speaker 1 (00:31):
Now?

Speaker 2 (00:31):
I mentioned thinking big intentionally because that's what we did
back in the seventies and eighties, didn't we, especially with
the big hydro power schemes, the hydro power schemes that
are still doing the business nearly fifty years on, still
keeping the lights on these days, though you think about it.
These days, instead of thinking big about energy, we tinker

(00:54):
around the edges, don't we. And the latest example came
yesterday with Labour announcing details of its solar energy policy, which,
like National's policy which came the other week, is all
about getting more households going solar and essentially both policies
both parties focus on giving people, giving us the chance

(01:17):
to take out a cheap loan to pay for solar
panels and batteries, or even the Labours talking about giving grants.
Some banks already offer this, don't they, But you have
to have a mortgage with the bank to qualify for
those cheap loans. Labour's policy a few extras, such as
an option for renters to use plug in panels, which

(01:38):
are all the rage in some overseas countries. Apparently that's
according to Labour's energy spokesperson Megan Woods. But here's the difference.
These other countries also don't just rely on households to
do the heavy lifting as these policies do. And I

(01:59):
reckon that's what I want to run past you. I
reckon that if our politicians are really serious about solar,
if they are as serious as they say they are
about using solar to get cheaper and more reliable power supplies,
then they've they've got to do more. They've got to
be thinking bigger, way bigger than just solar panels up

(02:22):
on the roof. There are again a thinking bigger. And
this is what I think we should be doing. We
as a country should be investing in state owned solar farms,
owned by the state, run by the state, instead of
relying on people to take out loans and put panels
on top of their houses. The government and I'm talking

(02:44):
here about the government of the day, not just the
current government. The government or the state or whatever you
want to call it, should have some skin in the
game and should be getting into the business of mass
solar generation itself. Because if it was good enough for
us to build the big hydro power stations back in
the day, the States should be doing the exact same

(03:05):
thing and building massive solar farms today. Now you could say, well,
it's already doing that, ain't with its shareholding and the
big power generators not enough. I reckon it could and
more importantly, should be doing more. Because as much as
labor and national will tell us that it's all about

(03:26):
dealing with the cost of living and reducing household power bills,
that is not the real issue. Don't fall for that.
It's not the real issue. The real challenge is ensuring
that we have enough power to keep the lights on
at the likes of these big manufacturing plants. And if
we want companies coming here to set up big data centers,
if we want businesses coming here to set up shop,

(03:49):
we're going to have to be able to provide a
reliable power supply at a decent price. That's the real
challenge facing us and that's where sola can play a
vital role that we're not going to do that with
you and I getting a cheap loan and sticking a
few panels and tying it up, tying them up to
a battery at the side of the house. And that

(04:10):
is why I think large scale government investment and ownership
of big solar farms would be an absolute no brainer.

Speaker 1 (04:20):
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