The Waikato Affordable Energy Challenge
The Waikato sits at the heart of New Zealand’s electricity system—home to major hydro generation along the Waikato River, extensive geothermal resources, and large-scale thermal generation at Huntly, with wind and solar continuing to expand.
Yet despite this abundance, electricity is becoming less affordable for many households and businesses. Evidence shows these costs ripple through household budgets, reducing what’s available for essentials like housing, food, education, and healthcare.
Energy affordability is not just about how much we generate. It reflects how the entire system is designed and governed—generation mix, infrastructure, market rules, regulation, and political choices. At the same time, the system itself is complex and often poorly understood, limiting the ability of communities to engage in informed debate about its future.
This webinar series aims to build a clear, practical understanding of how the electricity system works, what drives reliability, sustainability and affordability, and what a more “affordable and abundant” future could look like. Across the series, speakers will explore questions such as:
How does the electricity system actually work—and why is it designed this way?
What drives power prices, and how could they be made more affordable?
How does energy affordability affect household and community wellbeing?
What would a better system look like—and how do we get there?
Running from June to October, the series will bring together a diverse mix of experts, investors, and system leaders to explore these issues, including the growing challenge of energy hardship and its real-world impacts.
Webinar: What’s Wrong with the New Zealand Electricity Market?
Geoff Bertram, 10 June: 11am
Join us to hear from Geoff Bertram, one of New Zealand’s most respected economists and a leading authority on electricity markets, regulation, and pricing. With a distinguished academic career at Victoria University of Wellington and a substantial body of published work, Geoff is widely recognised for his rigorous analysis and willingness to challenge conventional thinking. He brings deep insight into how policy and market design shape outcomes for households and businesses—and where reform may be needed.
The webinar will be co-hosted by Harvey Brookes and Ernie Newman, a Waikato based commentator on competition, regulation, and infrastructure policy. A recording will be posted on our website and social media channels.
Registration
For any questions, or to discuss future webinars, please contact Harvey at: harvey@wellbeingwaikato.org.nz
