John Harbord: Major Electricity Users Group Chair on the energy crisis in New Zealand

New Zealand seems to have “sleepwalked” its way into an energy crisis.  Both Winstone's Ohakune pulp and timber mills could shut, putting 300 jobs in the small central North Island town on the line.  This is due to their energy bills have increased significantly for the company in recent years.  John Harbord, Chair of the Major Electricity Users Group, told Kerre Woodham that if you go back six years, the price for a megawatt hour of electricity was about $75-80, and for the majority of the recent years, it’s been around $150 on average.   He said that for some businesses they’re not paying 40% more, but rather four times as much as they used to pay, and when one of your three biggest costs quadruples, it has a significant impact on your business.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.