I'm not an expert but it seems the days of any new Think Big hydro schemes are over, and Wind is too intermittent without storage technologies. Geothermal has lots of potential but Tidal power is still a work in progress (although Cook Strait and Manukau/Kaipara Harbours are promising locations). Large-scale Solar? Yeah but where?

However Thorium reactors, molten salt and other modern technologies seem to be a way forward. How about putting one near Hamilton where it is at low risk from earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes? It could provide convenient power to both Hamilton and Auckland without needing to ship electrons all the way from Otago.

Although NZ is proudly nuclear-free, that's not quite true. I understand we have a small thermopile reactor at Canterbury Uni and of course we use radioisotopes all the time in various industries. Coal power kills more people globally than nuclear, even taking into account the different installed capacities and it sends more radioactivity into the environment too. Nuclear-weapons-free is absolutely a good thing but are we denying ourselves zero-carbon power for idealogical reasons only?