Raymond GunnThe Teviot Valley has a local voice on a group investigating the benefits of pumped hydro at Lake Onslow compared with other energy storage solutions to New Zealand’s dry-year electricity problem. Teviot Valley Community Board chairman Raymond Gunn has joined the NZ Battery Project technical reference group in addition to the eight members appointed when the group was established by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment in April. The group is advisory — its main role is to provide specialist input and insight to the project team as it works through options and develops recommendations. Mr Gunn said his appointment was to provide a ‘‘community perspective’’ to the group and his local knowledge was key to his appointment as the only member from the area on the group. Early estimates of the Lake Onslow project were it would cost about $4billion and the feasibility study expected to wrap up in May 2022 would provide greater certainty about the costs.

Source: Otago Daily Times July 08, 2021 16:30 UTC