According to a survey commissioned by the New Zealand Electricity Commission, 47% of New Zealanders would consider switching electricity retailers on environmental grounds. Given the recent scrapping of the moratorium on new thermal generation build, could consumer preference become a driver for development of renewable energy in New Zealand?
KEA 3's Erich Livengood presented "Consumer Driven Sustainable Development In The Power Sector: Options For Consumer Choice In The New Zealand Electricity Market" to the Australia New Zealand Society for Ecological Economics (ANZSEE) Conference in Darwin November 2009.