The Ministry of Economic Development estimates that capa­city will increase from the current 622MW to about 1.41GW, and produce close to 10% of the country’s electricity by 2030.

But Eric Pyle, chief executive of the New Zealand Wind Energy Association (NZWEA), says the official estimate undershoots the number of wind farms that will be built.

“[Government estimates] are great news for New Zealanders, as wind-generated electri­city keeps power bills down and helps with hydro-lake levels,” says Pyle.