The Green Party has unveiled a new energy policy aimed at reducing household power bills, increasing public ownership of electricity generation and breaking the dominance of New Zealand’s largest energy companies.
The policy is being promoted as a plan to return greater control of the electricity market to consumers while accelerating the transition to renewable energy. It comes as electricity prices and energy affordability continue to be major issues for households across Aotearoa in the lead-up to the General Election.
Under the proposal, the Greens would establish a publicly owned electricity retailer and generator to compete directly with the country’s major gentailers. The party says increasing public competition would help put downward pressure on prices while ensuring affordable electricity remains a public service rather than primarily a source of profit.
The policy also proposes expanding investment in renewable energy generation, including solar power, community-owned energy projects and battery storage, with the aim of reducing reliance on fossil fuels and improving long-term energy security.
A key component of the plan is supporting households, marae and community organisations to generate their own electricity through greater access to rooftop solar and local energy initiatives. The Greens argue that increasing locally generated renewable energy would not only lower power bills but also strengthen resilience during periods of high electricity demand.
The announcement reflects growing political debate over the future of New Zealand’s electricity market.
In recent months, the Government has introduced a series of reforms designed to increase competition among electricity retailers, including new rules requiring the large gentailers to offer fairer wholesale access to competitors, improved consumer protections and mandatory time-of-use pricing aimed at helping households reduce their electricity costs.
The Government says those reforms will create a fairer market by encouraging more competition and giving consumers greater choice, while maintaining confidence for investment in new electricity generation.
The Green Party argues more significant structural change is needed, saying the current market allows the largest electricity companies to retain too much influence over pricing and profits. The party believes a stronger public role in electricity generation and retailing would deliver lower costs for households while supporting New Zealand’s transition to a cleaner energy system.
For Māori communities, the proposal could have particular significance. Greater support for community-owned renewable energy projects, including marae-based solar generation and local energy schemes, could improve energy resilience, reduce operating costs and strengthen energy independence in rural and regional communities.
Energy affordability has emerged as a key election issue, with several political parties now proposing different approaches to lowering power bills. Recent announcements have included Government reforms to improve competition and time-of-use pricing, National’s Home Energy Fund to support household solar installations, and Labour’s SolarSaver package to expand access to rooftop solar and community batteries.
With the cost of living remaining a major concern for many New Zealanders, electricity policy is expected to be one of the defining battlegrounds of the 2026 election campaign.
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