Energy Today, For Tomorrow

Funding from Firstgas, part of Clarus has helped a Taranaki waka ama crew take on some of the world’s best at the International Va’a Federation World Sprint Championships in Singapore. The crew competed in the Master Women’s 40-50 age group division in a W12 event at the championships in August, representing Taranaki on the international stage.

It’s good news for New Zealand’s electricity system as we head into the final months of 2026. Transpower’s latest Energy Security Outlook shows national hydro storage sitting well above historic averages at 133%, with South Island storage at 142%.

The Government has announced it will remove one of the costs that holds back gas storage development in New Zealand. Currently, developers pay royalties for ‘cushion gas’, which sits in an underground storage facility to maintain total gas pressure. Cushion gas can’t be sold or extracted, but currently requires a 5% fee to be paid on its estimated value.

When your business needs fast, consistent and controllable energy, natural gas can be a great choice, which is why more than 16,000 New Zealand businesses rely on gas. For many businesses, gas provides energy that is responsive and easy to control. It can heat large spaces, cook with precision and provide continuous hot water, generate steam and support industrial processes that require high temperatures.

Freyberg High School students have raced their way into the world top six at the 2026 Hydrogen Grand Prix (H2GP) World Finals, with support from the Clarus Community Fund. The Palmerston North team travelled to Bulle, Switzerland, for the World Finals in June, competing against 90 student teams from more than 23 countries.

For a while now in New Zealand, the energy conversation has felt like an all-or-nothing choice. Gas or electric. Headlines and policies often talk about going fully electric, and many homeowners are left wondering what that means for the things they genuinely enjoy - cooking with a flame, instant hot water, a cosy gas fire on a cold winter’s night, or firing up the barbie with friends and family.