Green Party Unveils $980 Million KiwiPower Renewable Energy Plan

The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand unveiled a $980 million energy policy on July 20, 2026, proposing the creation of KiwiPower, a publicly owned electricity retailer and generator. Launched at the Dunedin Gasworks Museum, the plan aims to lower household power bills and increase energy security by challenging the market dominance of four large power companies that control over 85 percent of the market.

The proposal includes $200 million for community-owned renewable energy and $80 million for Māori housing energy projects. To accelerate the transition from fossil fuels, the party suggests zero-interest clean energy loans for solar and battery installations, the legalization of plug-in solar, and an expansion of the Warmer Kiwi Homes program. These initiatives would be funded through a wealth tax on the super-rich and the reallocation of fossil fuel subsidies.

Political reactions were divided. Labour leader Chris Hipkins agreed that New Zealand's energy market requires a shake-up but explicitly rejected the use of a wealth tax to fund the policy. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon dismissed the announcement, stating he does not pay much attention to Green Party policy. The Greens specifically criticized Luxon's support for a billion-dollar LNG terminal, arguing such a facility locks the country into fossil fuels while the government's current market reforms fail to sufficiently protect consumers.