The Green Party wants to make it easier for people generating their own electricity to sell the excess power back to the national grid.
Gareth Hughes. Photo: GREEN PARTY
At present, small-scale generators can sell back to the grid, but the price is set by their electricity retailer.
The Greens' energy spokesperson, Gareth Hughes, says that gives all the negotiating power to the retailer, which can amend the terms of agreement with one month's notice.
"It's high time that we had a fair, simple, transparent regime that didn't require subsidies but could see a fair return for people feeding back their surplus electricity into the grid."
Mr Hughes says the Greens want 10 year power purchase agreements put in place and a price set by the Electricity Authority.
Solar Industry Association secretary Roy Netzer says a long-term price for solar energy would bring down the cost of solar heating and encourage more people to invest in it.
But the Government says the proposal to sell excess power generated by solar energy back to the national grid is muddled thinking and poor public policy.
Energy and Resources Minister Simon Bridges says because New Zealand has abundant renewables and geothermal and wind power are more cost effective, it does not make sense to incentivise solar power.
Mr Bridges says the time solar power would be going on to the grid is off-peak, which would force retailers to buy power they do need.
He says that is a recipe for higher prices.
