‘We can’t afford not to have a plan’

$The Manapouri power house intake at West Arm sits above New Zealands largest hydroelectric power station located deep beneath the hillside. Great South strategic projects general manager\\u00A0Steve Canny believes hydroelectricity remained a critical component of the country\\u2019s future energy mix, supported by technologies such as grid-scale batteries.$

The Manapouri power house intake at West Arm sits above New Zealands largest hydroelectric power station located deep beneath the hillside. Great South strategic projects general manager Steve Canny believes hydroelectricity remained a critical component of the country’s future energy mix, supported by technologies such as grid-scale batteries.

With no immediate answers in sight, Southland business leaders are calling for a national energy strategy to address the looming power shortage, writes Toni McDonald.

Toni McDonaldReporter

Thursday, September 24, 2026

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