NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand has no coal plants under construction or in planning. The country had proposed phasing out coal completely by 2030, but, as of June 2026, coal was not expected to be phased out until 2037 at the earliest. New Zealand relies heavily on hydropower to meet most of its energy needs. The country is a small coal producer and consumer, though it does have one 750 megawatt (MW) coal- and gas-fired plant which is scheduled to remain operational as a mixed-fuel plant for another ten years. Huntly power station owner Genesis Energy cited low hydropower generation caused by dry weather conditions as a factor improving the plant's economic outlook.

New Zealand's coal resources are located mainly in the Waikato and Taranaki regions of the North Island and the West Coast, Otago and Southland regions of the South Island. New Zealand is a member of the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA), which is dedicated to phasing out coal power plants in OECD countries by 2030 and globally before 2050. New Zealand has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2050. In its January 2025 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) submission under the Paris Agreement, the country committed to a 51-55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions below 2005 levels by 2035.