The hyperbole in the lead-up included Energy Minister Simon Watts referring to surgical interventions in the power market, whatever that meant, and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon talking of throwing the kitchen sink at boosting energy supply.
In the wake of business closures with high energy costs as a factor, there was also clamour from business leaders, among them former National leader Simon Bridges and former minister of energy and resources and now chief executive of the Auckland Business Chamber, for real structural reform.
Domestic consumers have been waiting for years for a system that does not result in energy poverty for thousands of households.
But the dabbling announced last week seems to have been more designed to keep the government’s coffers topped up from its 51% shares in Genesis, Mercury and Meridian than to make a meaningful difference to anyone’s power bills.
After a major report it commissioned, albeit one strongly criticised by peer reviewers, the government decided rather than do anything bold, it would grab a few bits and bobs and try to convince the public it was doing something cohesive.
This plan, if we could call it that, was not helped by Mr Luxon writing a plaintive letter to Labour leader Chris Hipkins asking him to commit to supporting offshore exploration for natural gas for at least the next 10 years in an effort to achieve a "credible, bipartisan approach".
This folly was made worse when Mr Luxon’s office quickly released the letter to one media outlet which questioned Mr Hipkins before he had a chance to see it.
It looked silly and desperate. The government’s enthusiasm for bipartisanism seemed even more questionable when it was revealed Labour’s energy spokeswoman Megan Woods had written to Mr Watts weeks earlier on the issues; something he took 37 days to reply to. They have yet to meet.
Mr Luxon might be better to spend his energy on first getting a coherent view of energy among the coalition partners. It has been clear Assistant Energy Minister Shane Jones would like bolder action explored including renationalising the sector.
Mr Luxon constantly banging on about Labour’s ban on oil and gas exploration needs to stop. He knows Labour’s ban did not prevent existing exploration permits from continuing, that it has been years since any significant discovery, and even if more gas were found it would take well over a decade for it to be available.
As has been explained, New Zealand will not suddenly become the Saudi Arabia of the South Pacific as a result of the ban being removed, and many people will be unconvinced the emphasis on fossil fuels in the government’s thinking is the best way to go.
It is baffling the government needed to assure, by formal letter, the big power companies (in which it has a majority share) it was "prepared to support capital funding requests for strategic and commercially rational investments that support energy security".
Those looking at the huge profits made by these companies might wonder why they have not used more of their own money to develop more capacity already. It has suited them to under-deliver on supply and benefit their shareholders at the expense of consumers.
Successive governments have not got to grips with this.
Consumers might appreciate a genuine attempt to get agreement between political parties on this essential service; something which is fair and environmentally sound.
Instead, it is shaping up to be a major issue in next year’s general election. Sadly, the heat from that will not benefit the national grid.
