The Government has agreed to progress the recommendations in the Ministry for Regulation’s Sector Review Report to make residential and small to medium scale solar panel installation in New Zealand the simplest in the developed world.

Speaking at the Waikato Regional Energy Strategy launch in Hamilton, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment said New Zealand faces a series of complex energy challenges that require long-term thinking and greater coordination across government, industry and communities.

The latest Energy Quarterly data release from the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE) shows renewables generated 94.5% of all electricity in the March 2026 quarter, up from 83.2% in the same quarter last year.