Between 1992 and 1996 wind-power generation of electricity in New Zealand was minimal – there was one experimental wind turbine in Wellington. But it increased dramatically during the late 1990s and early 2000s with the introduction of full-scale wind farms. The upper graph shows this increase.

The lower graph shows that in 2007 wind contributed just over 2% of electricity to the national grid. Over 50% of New Zealand’s electricity production came from hydroelectric generation. Just over 30% came from thermal generation using non-renewable, fossil fuels such as gas and coal. The forestry industry uses waste woody biomass (wood) to produce electricity and several landfill and sewage facilities extract methane (biogas) to do the same. Solar power generation was insignificant.