From Newsgroup: nz.general

From a Facebook post attributed to David Seymour:

"The media have reported a half-true story about electricity bills.
Here are the full facts.
Electricity bills have been a killer lately. ThatAs why the Government
is acting, and why thereAs been so much political posing by the
opposition and media (which IAll get to).
Major electricity companies will be forced to invest a billion dollars
in a new terminal in Taranaki.
That terminal will take gas from ships off the coast of Taranaki and
feed it into the network of pipes around the country.
It is really replacing the gas wells that are running out with ships
as the source of gas.
Getting gas is important because hydro, wind and solar all rely on the
weather, not always a great thing to rely on.
On cold nights in dry winters, gas can fire up quickly and keep the
lights on, so getting it is important."


How are we doing it? WeAre putting a levy on major electricity
generators.
People argue about whether itAs a tax. I donAt think the argument is
that important but technically, this is a levy.
A tax is on the whole country, and the money raised can be used for
anything. This is a levy because only generators pay it, and it will
only be used for the gas terminal.
There wonAt be a new line on your power bill, saying agas taxA that is
just the Labour party paying politics.
People are always saying athe energy companies wonAt get together and
invest in capacity,A theyAre holding back supply to raise prices.A
ThatAs a fair argument, and itAs exactly why weAre forcing their hand
to invest by collecting a levy and putting the money into a terminal.
The net result will be more available gas, less energy shortages, and
lower prices because weAve forced them to invest.
More investment in energy supply will get energy prices down. Our
advice is that this policy will lower electricity bills, because there
will be more electricity supply.
Now, about Labour/Greens/Maori, three things:
1) We probably wouldnAt have to do this if they hadnAt scared the gas
industry out of New Zealand with their ban.
2) Their solution was to actually tax New Zealanders $15 billion and
put the money into a pumped hydro scheme at lake Onslow.
3) This whole episode shows the difference between solving a problem
-not enough investment in energy supply- and just politicking -saying
aitAs a gas taxA for the six oAclock news when a) thatAs not true and
b) the Labour party has no credible solution to electricity prices."

The major claim is that the cost of the levy will be imposed on
electricity generators, not customers. All that will do is ensure
there is nothing on electricity bills that refers to the levy - the
price paid for electricity is influenced by costs and this is a new
one. Is the Government, as the majority owner of all but one
generator, going to direct the generators it owns into leaving out the
cost of the levy when considering thyme influence of costs on
electricity pricing?

Yeah, right.
--
Crash McBash
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: nz.general

On 2026-02-11, Crash <nogood@dontbother.invalid> wrote:

From a Facebook post attributed to David Seymour:

"The media have reported a half-true story about electricity bills.
Here are the full facts.
Electricity bills have been a killer lately. That-As why the Government
is acting, and why there-As been so much political posing by the
opposition and media (which I-All get to).
Major electricity companies will be forced to invest a billion dollars
in a new terminal in Taranaki.
That terminal will take gas from ships off the coast of Taranaki and
feed it into the network of pipes around the country.
It is really replacing the gas wells that are running out with ships
as the source of gas.
Getting gas is important because hydro, wind and solar all rely on the weather, not always a great thing to rely on.

Lets have two words here, geothermal and nuclear (peaceful power not
weapons0. This needs to be on the table for long term.

At times like this is is a wise idea to look at

https://www.transpower.co.nz/system-operator/live-system-and-market-data/consolidated-live-data

every so often. 15:00 11 February gas is zilch. Coal is 141 MW and solar is steaming along at 182 MW

Lets us also ask history, hydro did very well in the past.

The green push to renewables, Nett zero etc has pushed the investment into Solar, wind and the hope that this will intergrate. On a cold, calm night it does not intergrate.

On cold nights in dry winters, gas can fire up quickly and keep the
lights on, so getting it is important."

And we can not in the new ruptured world David?

What is happening here is a quick fix, which okay. Given that we are here in this part of the cycle its about all you can do.

Okay so we/NZ needs gas and this requires a billion $ terminal. The user
needs to pay for it. As everyone uses energy a levy/tax on the fuel/gas
should work, in much the say way as the tax on petrol. (and road user
charges)

How are we doing it? We-Are putting a levy on major electricity
generators.
People argue about whether it-As a tax. I don-At think the argument is
that important but technically, this is a levy.
A tax is on the whole country, and the money raised can be used for
anything. This is a levy because only generators pay it, and it will
only be used for the gas terminal.
There won-At be a new line on your power bill, saying -agas tax-A that is just the Labour party paying politics.

I do hope so. Taxes/levies need to be transparent, even it it does get
hidden. We know the value and it is on all goods and services. However it
does hide the price paid to the goverment.

People are always saying -athe energy companies won-At get together and invest in capacity,-A they-Are holding back supply to raise prices.-A That-As a fair argument, and it-As exactly why we-Are forcing their hand
to invest by collecting a levy and putting the money into a terminal.
The net result will be more available gas, less energy shortages, and
lower prices because we-Ave forced them to invest.
More investment in energy supply will get energy prices down. Our
advice is that this policy will lower electricity bills, because there
will be more electricity supply.

Not necessarly, a lower price will increase demand, a lager supply will mean that the gererators could offer a lower price if the did not pay the levy.

Now, about Labour/Greens/Maori, three things:
1) We probably wouldn-At have to do this if they hadn-At scared the gas industry out of New Zealand with their ban.

Maybe.

2) Their solution was to actually tax New Zealanders $15 billion and
put the money into a pumped hydro scheme at lake Onslow.

An coalition Goverment price/amount of the TAX.

3) This whole episode shows the difference between solving a problem
-not enough investment in energy supply- and just politicking -saying
-ait-As a gas tax-A for the six o-Aclock news when a) that-As not true and
b) the Labour party has no credible solution to electricity prices."

The major claim is that the cost of the levy will be imposed on
electricity generators, not customers. All that will do is ensure
there is nothing on electricity bills that refers to the levy - the
price paid for electricity is influenced by costs and this is a new
one. Is the Government, as the majority owner of all but one
generator, going to direct the generators it owns into leaving out the
cost of the levy when considering thyme influence of costs on
electricity pricing?

Yeah, right.

Right there is the problem. If the Governments took of the shareholder hat
and on the looking after the country (not themselves) NZ could get the
cheapest power possible and cheap power/energy is what drives the wealth of the country.

--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: nz.general

On 11 Feb 2026 03:31:12 GMT, Gordon <Gordon@leaf.net.nz> wrote:

On 2026-02-11, Crash <nogood@dontbother.invalid> wrote:

From a Facebook post attributed to David Seymour:

"The media have reported a half-true story about electricity bills.
Here are the full facts.
Electricity bills have been a killer lately. That?s why the Government
is acting, and why there?s been so much political posing by the
opposition and media (which I?ll get to).
Major electricity companies will be forced to invest a billion dollars
in a new terminal in Taranaki.
That terminal will take gas from ships off the coast of Taranaki and
feed it into the network of pipes around the country.
It is really replacing the gas wells that are running out with ships
as the source of gas.
Getting gas is important because hydro, wind and solar all rely on the
weather, not always a great thing to rely on.

Lets have two words here, geothermal and nuclear (peaceful power not >weapons0. This needs to be on the table for long term.

At times like this is is a wise idea to look at

https://www.transpower.co.nz/system-operator/live-system-and-market-data/consolidated-live-data

every so often. 15:00 11 February gas is zilch. Coal is 141 MW and solar is >steaming along at 182 MW

Lets us also ask history, hydro did very well in the past.

The green push to renewables, Nett zero etc has pushed the investment into >Solar, wind and the hope that this will intergrate. On a cold, calm night it >does not intergrate.

On cold nights in dry winters, gas can fire up quickly and keep the
lights on, so getting it is important."

And we can not in the new ruptured world David?

What is happening here is a quick fix, which okay. Given that we are here in >this part of the cycle its about all you can do.

Okay so we/NZ needs gas and this requires a billion $ terminal. The user >needs to pay for it. As everyone uses energy a levy/tax on the fuel/gas >should work, in much the say way as the tax on petrol. (and road user >charges)

How are we doing it? We?re putting a levy on major electricity
generators.
People argue about whether it?s a tax. I don?t think the argument is
that important but technically, this is a levy.
A tax is on the whole country, and the money raised can be used for
anything. This is a levy because only generators pay it, and it will
only be used for the gas terminal.
There won?t be a new line on your power bill, saying ?gas tax? that is
just the Labour party paying politics.

I do hope so. Taxes/levies need to be transparent, even it it does get >hidden. We know the value and it is on all goods and services. However it >does hide the price paid to the goverment.

People are always saying ?the energy companies won?t get together and
invest in capacity,? they?re holding back supply to raise prices.?
That?s a fair argument, and it?s exactly why we?re forcing their hand
to invest by collecting a levy and putting the money into a terminal.
The net result will be more available gas, less energy shortages, and
lower prices because we?ve forced them to invest.
More investment in energy supply will get energy prices down. Our
advice is that this policy will lower electricity bills, because there
will be more electricity supply.

Not necessarly, a lower price will increase demand, a lager supply will mean >that the gererators could offer a lower price if the did not pay the levy.

Now, about Labour/Greens/Maori, three things:
1) We probably wouldn?t have to do this if they hadn?t scared the gas
industry out of New Zealand with their ban.

Maybe.

2) Their solution was to actually tax New Zealanders $15 billion and
put the money into a pumped hydro scheme at lake Onslow.

An coalition Goverment price/amount of the TAX.

3) This whole episode shows the difference between solving a problem
-not enough investment in energy supply- and just politicking -saying
?it?s a gas tax? for the six o?clock news when a) that?s not true and
b) the Labour party has no credible solution to electricity prices."

The major claim is that the cost of the levy will be imposed on
electricity generators, not customers. All that will do is ensure
there is nothing on electricity bills that refers to the levy - the
price paid for electricity is influenced by costs and this is a new
one. Is the Government, as the majority owner of all but one
generator, going to direct the generators it owns into leaving out the
cost of the levy when considering thyme influence of costs on
electricity pricing?

Yeah, right.

Right there is the problem. If the Governments took of the shareholder hat >and on the looking after the country (not themselves) NZ could get the >cheapest power possible and cheap power/energy is what drives the wealth of the
country.

There are two points not covered:

- what is the source of the gas for the new terminal?
- why is there any need for Government involvement (ie why not allow a
private operator)?
--
Crash McBash
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: nz.general

Crash <nogood@dontbother.invalid> wrote:

From a Facebook post attributed to David Seymour:

"The media have reported a half-true story about electricity bills.
Here are the full facts.
Electricity bills have been a killer lately.

Haha correct!
That is fully a fact

That-As why the Government
is acting, and why there-As been so much political posing by the
opposition and media (which I-All get to).
Major electricity companies will be forced to invest a billion dollars
in a new terminal in Taranaki.
That terminal will take gas from ships off the coast of Taranaki and
feed it into the network of pipes around the country.
It is really replacing the gas wells that are running out with ships
as the source of gas.
Getting gas is important because hydro, wind and solar all rely on the weather, not always a great thing to rely on.
On cold nights in dry winters, gas can fire up quickly and keep the
lights on, so getting it is important."

How are we doing it? We-Are putting a levy on major electricity
generators.
People argue about whether it-As a tax. I don-At think the argument is
that important but technically, this is a levy.
A tax is on the whole country, and the money raised can be used for
anything. This is a levy because only generators pay it, and it will
only be used for the gas terminal.
There won-At be a new line on your power bill, saying -agas tax-A that is just the Labour party paying politics.
People are always saying -athe energy companies won-At get together and invest in capacity,-A they-Are holding back supply to raise prices.-A That-As a fair argument, and it-As exactly why we-Are forcing their hand
to invest by collecting a levy and putting the money into a terminal.
The net result will be more available gas, less energy shortages, and
lower prices because we-Ave forced them to invest.
More investment in energy supply will get energy prices down. Our
advice is that this policy will lower electricity bills, because there
will be more electricity supply.
Now, about Labour/Greens/Maori, three things:
1) We probably wouldn-At have to do this if they hadn-At scared the gas industry out of New Zealand with their ban.
2) Their solution was to actually tax New Zealanders $15 billion and
put the money into a pumped hydro scheme at lake Onslow.
3) This whole episode shows the difference between solving a problem
-not enough investment in energy supply- and just politicking -saying
-ait-As a gas tax-A for the six o-Aclock news when a) that-As not true and
b) the Labour party has no credible solution to electricity prices."

The major claim is that the cost of the levy will be imposed on
electricity generators, not customers. All that will do is ensure
there is nothing on electricity bills that refers to the levy - the
price paid for electricity is influenced by costs and this is a new
one. Is the Government, as the majority owner of all but one
generator, going to direct the generators it owns into leaving out the
cost of the levy when considering thyme influence of costs on
electricity pricing?

Yeah, right.

--- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2