New Zealand energy mix & electricity
In 2025, New Zealand generated 43.3 TWh of electricity. More than half of it, 54.8%, came from hydropower; geothermal and other renewables was a distant second with 21.8%.
Electricity generation by source in 2025
Share of electricity generation by source, with the change in percentage points over the last ten years.
| Source | TWh | Share | 10-yr Δ pp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 23.77 | 54.8% | −0.9 |
| Other renewables | 9.44 | 21.8% | +4.8 |
| Wind | 4.22 | 9.7% | +4.4 |
| Gas | 3.84 | 8.9% | −6.8 |
| Oil | 0.64 | 1.5% | 0 |
| Bioenergy | 0.57 | 1.3% | −0.6 |
| Coal | 0.49 | 1.1% | −1.7 |
| Solar | 0.37 | 0.9% | +0.8 |
| Total | 43.34 | 100% |
New Zealand: electricity in context
In 2025, New Zealand generated 43.3 TWh of electricity. That is similar to Morocco. More than half of it, 54.8%, came from hydropower; geothermal and other renewables was a distant second with 21.8%.
88.5% of the country’s power came from renewable sources: 19th of 158 countries (in the top quarter). This puts it 55 points above the world average of 33.8%. It is also above the average for Oceania (41.4%). The carbon intensity of electricity is 93 g CO₂e/kWh; the global average is 458 g/kWh. That is a very low-carbon power system. On carbon intensity, New Zealand ranks 20th of 158 from the cleanest.
Over the past decade geothermal and other renewables added more generation than any other source (+2 TWh since 2015, plus 4.8 percentage points of share). Natural gas moved the other way, falling by 3 TWh. Taken together, the renewable share rose by 8.5 percentage points over the decade. Total generation shrank by 230 GWh over the same period. Carbon intensity dropped from 143 to 93 g/kWh, a 35% cut.
Coal supplies 1.1% of electricity. That is 1.7 percentage points less than in 2015. The peak was 12.4% in 2005. In absolute terms, coal generation peaked in 2005 at 5.3 TWh and has since fallen 91%.
Wind and solar together provided 10.6% of electricity (solar 0.9%, wind 9.7%), compared with 17.3% worldwide. Per person, that is 70 kWh of solar electricity a year, versus a global average of 338 kWh. Wind adds 804 kWh per person, the 22nd-highest figure of 156 countries.
New Zealand generates 8,252 kWh of electricity per resident each year, 2.1 times the global average. New Zealand does not trade electricity with other countries: the grid is not interconnected with any neighbour.
How the power mix has changed
Electricity generation by source since 2000. Switch to shares to see the structural shift independent of demand growth.
Renewables and carbon intensity
New Zealand against the world and Oceania averages.
Total energy: beyond electricity
Primary energy covers transport, heating and industry too. Renewables supply 42.6% of primary energy and fossil fuels 57.4% (2024). Per person, that is 44,712 kWh a year (world: 21,654).
Substitution method: non-fossil electricity is converted to the primary energy a fossil plant would have needed.
Domestic extraction of coal, gas and oil, in energy terms.
Power plants in New Zealand
The WRI Global Power Plant Database lists 43 utility-scale plants in New Zealand with a combined capacity of 6.7 GW. Hydro plants account for the largest slice (66% of listed capacity). The biggest single plant is Manapouri (800 MW, Hydro). The database was last updated in 2021, so newer wind and solar farms and rooftop PV are under-represented.
Largest power plants
| # | Plant | Fuel | Capacity MW | Commissioned | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manapouri | Hydro | 800 | — | Meridian Energy |
| 2 | Ohau A | Hydro | 688 | — | Meridian Energy |
| 3 | Benmore | Hydro | 540 | — | Meridian Energy |
| 4 | Huntly (steam) | Coal | 500 | — | Genesis Energy |
| 5 | Clyde | Hydro | 432 | 1992 | Contact Energy |
| 6 | Huntly (CC) | Gas | 403 | 2007 | Genesis Energy |
| 7 | Maraetai | Hydro | 352 | — | Mercury Energy |
| 8 | Aviemore | Hydro | 220 | — | Meridian Energy |
| 9 | Arapuni | Hydro | 192 | 1929 | Mercury Energy |
| 10 | Tekapo | Hydro | 179 | — | Genesis Energy |
| 11 | Whirinaki | Oil | 155 | 2011 | Contact Energy |
| 12 | West Wind | Wind | 143 | 2009 | Meridian Energy |
| 13 | Nga Awa Purua | Geothermal | 138 | 2010 | Mercury Energy |
| 14 | Wairakei | Geothermal | 132 | — | Contact Energy |
| 15 | Ohaaki | Geothermal | 122 | 1984 | Contact Energy |
Source: WRI Global Power Plant Database v1.3 (CC BY 4.0). Explore all 43 plants on the interactive power plant map.
Solar & wind farms: New Zealand
140 utility-scale facilities tracked by Global Energy Monitor (2026): 300 MW of solar and 1.1 GW of wind operating, plus 20.4 GW under construction or planned.
See them on the mapLargest solar & wind farms: New Zealand →
How does New Zealand compare?
New Zealand next to 6 neighbouring countries, plus regional and world averages. Click a column to sort; use “Compare” for full side-by-side charts.
| Country | Renewable % | Low-carbon % | Fossil % | gCO₂/kWh | kWh / person | Generation TWh | Mix | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 88.5% | 88.5% | 11.5% | 93 | 8,252 | 43.3 | — | |
| New Caledonia | 26.9% | 26.9% | 73.1% | 561 | 10,661 | 3.1 | Compare | |
| Fiji | 63.5% | 63.5% | 36.5% | 278 | 1,238 | 1.2 | Compare | |
| Australia | 38.6% | 38.6% | 61.4% | 525 | 10,615 | 286 | Compare | |
| Papua New Guinea | 23.7% | 23.7% | 76.3% | 514 | 447 | 4.7 | Compare | |
| French Polynesia | 34.7% | 34.7% | 65.3% | 431 | 2,555 | 0.7 | Compare | |
| Timor-Leste | 0% | 0% | 100% | 667 | 364 | 0.5 | Compare | |
| Oceania average | 41.4% | 41.4% | 58.6% | 495 | 7,331 | 338 | Compare | |
| World average | 33.8% | 42.6% | 57.4% | 458 | 3,860 | 31,772 | Compare |
Calculators for New Zealand
New Zealand energy: frequently asked questions
What percentage of electricity in New Zealand is renewable?
What is the main source of electricity in New Zealand?
How clean is the electricity in New Zealand?
Does New Zealand have nuclear power?
How much electricity does New Zealand use per person?
How much solar power does New Zealand produce?
More countries in Oceania
Sources & references
- Our World in Data: Energy dataset (CC BY 4.0) — compiled from the sources below
- Ember: Yearly Electricity Data — generation, shares, carbon intensity
- Energy Institute: Statistical Review of World Energy — primary energy, fossil production
- U.S. Energy Information Administration: International Energy Data — gap-filling for smaller countries
- World Resources Institute: Global Power Plant Database v1.3 (CC BY 4.0) — power plant locations and capacity
Electricity data: Ember and Energy Institute Statistical Review via Our World in Data (CC BY 4.0); latest year 2025. Power plants: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). Rankings exclude systems under 1 TWh and values older than 2020. Figures may be revised by the original publishers.