Rank
01
Hydroelectricity
Largest sourceManapouri, Clyde, Benmore and dozens more South Island dams supply the backbone of NZ generation.
Renewable energy hub
New Zealand's guide to renewable energy
Solar, wind, hydro and geothermal: how Aotearoa already runs on around 85% renewable electricity, and how Kiwi households can pick a 100% green power company today.
~85% renewable today.
Target: 100% by 2030.
Updated for 2026.
Aotearoa's green-energy guide, refreshed for 2026.
~85%
NZ electricity from renewables
57%
Hydroelectricity share
18%
Geothermal share
2030
100% renewable target year
The renewable hub
Explore renewable energy in New Zealand
Solar, wind, hydro and geothermal: how each source powers Aotearoa, who generates it, and how Kiwi households can plug into the greenest plans.
7 topics, updated for 2026
Featured
Renewable Energy Companies in NZ
Mercury, Meridian, Ecotricity, Octopus and more: the retailers and gentailers powering New Zealand with 100% renewable electricity.
Who's the greenest gentailer?
100% renewable retailers ranked
Toitū carbon-zero certified plans
Solar Power
How rooftop photovoltaic panels work, payback periods and the best NZ regions for solar.
Solar Panels NZ
Installed cost by system size, the brands actually on the Kiwi market and per-kWh economics.
Wind Power
How turbines turn the Roaring Forties into Kiwi kilowatt-hours, plus capacity factors.
NZ Electricity Prices
Generation, lines, retail and GST: how every cent of your power bill is actually built.
NZ's #1 source
Hydroelectricity
South Island dams, Lake Pukaki storage and how hydro keeps Kiwi lights on year-round.
57% of generation
Taupō Volcanic Zone
Geothermal Energy
Wairākei, Ohaaki and Ngāwhā: how NZ became a world leader in geothermal power.
18% of generation
NZ's electricity mix
Where Kiwi power really comes from
New Zealand's grid is already one of the greenest in the OECD. Hydro and geothermal carry most of the load, while wind is the fastest-growing source, and rooftop solar is finally taking off in Kiwi homes.
Why it matters
Choosing a 100% renewable retailer adds demand for clean generation, accelerates the phase-out of the last thermal plants and helps NZ hit its 100%-renewable target by 2030.
Rank
02
Geothermal
Baseload renewableTaupō Volcanic Zone steam fields run 24/7, immune to weather or seasonal dry years.
Rank
03
Wind power
Fastest-growingFrom Tararua to Harapaki, wind is on track to triple by 2030 across the country's most exposed ridgelines.
Rank
04
Solar power
Rapidly scalingRooftop PV crossed 300 MW installed in 2025, and the first utility-scale solar farms are commissioning now.
Explore more on Selectra NZ
Take the next step: switch retailer, plug into a green-home loan or check who delivers the power on your line.
Low user vs standard user
Pick the right pricing tier and cut your daily charge.
Top EV electricity plans
Off-peak windows and free-hour plans for Kiwi EV households.
Warmer Kiwi Homes
Up to 90% off insulation and approved heat pumps via EECA.
Green home loans
ANZ, ASB, BNZ, Westpac, Kiwibank and Heartland 1% offers compared.
NZ electricity network
The 29 lines companies delivering your power, region by region.
Winter Energy Payment
$20 to $32 a week, automatic for eligible Kiwi households.
Live NZ power outages
Outage maps and 24/7 fault numbers for every lines company.
NZ vs the world
Where Aotearoa really sits on global residential electricity rates.
Built for Kiwi households
Independent green-energy guides
Our NZ team tracks every renewable generator, retailer green claim and Toitū certification, drawing on Selectra's decade of energy market expertise across 16+ countries. No greenwashing, no hidden affiliate-only rankings: just clear, sourced information so Kiwi households can choose a genuinely renewable power plan.
100%
Free, no sign-up required
16+
Countries Selectra operates in
10+ years
Of energy market expertise
The Selectra expert answers your questions
Around 85% of NZ electricity comes from renewable sources in a typical year, making Aotearoa one of the greenest grids in the OECD. Hydroelectricity supplies about 57%, geothermal 18%, wind roughly 7% and solar close to 3%. The remaining ~15% comes mostly from natural gas, with coal used only during dry hydro years. The country has a formal target of 100% renewable electricity by 2030.
Several Kiwi retailers source 100% of their electricity from renewable generation. Mercury Energy runs entirely on hydro, geothermal and wind. Meridian Energy is the country's largest renewable generator, powered by South Island hydro and wind farms. Independents such as Ecotricity are Toitū climate-positive certified.
Yes, for most Kiwi households a 4 to 6 kWp rooftop solar system pays itself back in 7 to 10 years and lasts at least 25. The economics work best when you can self-consume during the day, pair the panels with a hot-water cylinder or EV, and choose a retailer with a generous solar buy-back rate. Use the solar power guide above and compare buy-back rates before signing up.
Hydroelectricity uses falling water through turbines (NZ's biggest source). Geothermal taps underground steam from the Taupō Volcanic Zone and runs 24/7. Wind uses turbines on exposed ridgelines and is variable but cheap. Solar converts sunlight via photovoltaic panels, ideal for daytime self-consumption. Each source has its own deep-dive guide linked from the hub above.
Switching to a green retailer is free and takes minutes. Pick a 100% renewable retailer from our green retailer shortlist linked at the top of this page, sign up online with your ICP number, and the new company handles the switch with your old one. The change takes 5 to 10 working days and your power supply is never interrupted. You can also pair the switch with rooftop solar to push your household closer to net-zero.