Energy & Decarbonisation

Industry and Impact Analysis

Sapere’s energy and decarbonisation team combines intellectual insight with practical commercial experience.

We are experienced in resolving complex issues relating to:

  • Electricity and electrification
  • Gas and biogas supply
  • Transport and fuel supply
  • Low carbon transition
  • New technology.

 

Read some of our industry reports:

What we do

We bring a meticulous understanding of energy markets and environmental economics to bear on a wide range of complex issues, applying to:

  • Regulatory analysis
  • Market design
  • Economic modelling and forecasting
  • Valuing natural resources and externalities
  • Cost-benefit analysis
  • Revenue and price setting
  • Future scenarios
  • Security and reliability
  • Carbon abatement costing and scenario analysis
  • Carbon planning and quantifications
  • Measuring the impact of environmental and planning policies
  • Freshwater and three waters policy
  • Trading and risk management.

 

Examples of our work in energy and decarbonisation

  • Cost-benefit analysis of building for climate change amendments to the Building Act 2004
  • Market power mitigation in the Wholesale Electricity Market (WEM)
  • Business case for investment in Low Voltage Network Monitoring
  • Essential freshwater regulations – Industry Impact Analysis
  • Benefits and costs of the Wilding Pine Management Programme Phase 2 executive summary
  • Review of governance of Distributed Energy Resource (DER) technical standards
  • Briefing to incoming government on climate action priorities
  • Distributed energy resources: Understanding the potential
  • What is really driving innovation in our plant-based sectors?
  • Achieving policy goals for the electricity industry
  • National Energy Security Assessment (NESA)
  • Benefits of an electricity futures market in Singapore – May 2016
  • Understanding the value of the electricity and Gas Complaints Commissioner – October 2015
  • Errors in Australian Energy Regulator’s draft decision on Ergon Energy’s 2016 Tariff Structure Statement
  • A lack of joined-up thinking on energy, water and climate change objectives
  • A clearer high standard of trading conduct rule
  • Transitioning to zero net emissions by 2050: Moving to a very low-emissions electricity system in New Zealand
  • A review of the fiscal cost estimate of moving to averaging accounting for existing forests within the Emissions Trading Scheme
  • Review of competition in the retail electricity and natural gas markets in New South Wales
  • Scoping study for a consumer energy data access system
  • Corporate governance in the transition to a low-carbon economy
  • Electricity sector review – 2018
  • Independent review of operating environment factors used to adjust efficient operating expenditure for economic benchmarking
  • Transitioning to zero net emissions by 2050: moving to a very low-emissions electricity system in New Zealand
  • An exploration of locational marginal pricing at the distribution level in the New Zealand context
  • Provision of information to the NZ ETS
  • Sapere critique of Queensland Competition Authority’s draft (and Final) Determination for retail electricity prices for 2016-17.
Our reputation is founded on independent analysis and an in-depth knowledge of this industry.
A landscape featuring green rolling hills with five wind turbines spread across the terrain, symbolizing decarbonisation efforts. In the background, there are mountains beneath a partially cloudy sky.

Key contacts
Toby Stevenson
Kieran Murray
David Reeve
Corina Comendant

Some of our recent articles of interest

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Estimating the value of Healthline

  • Client: Whakarongorau Aotearoa / New Zealand Telehealth
Sapere’s analysis shows Healthline delivers substantial net value by reducing pressure on higher-cost parts of New Zealand’s health system.
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Can New Zealand rethink aged care to meet the needs of the future?

  • Client: Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora
New Zealand’s aged care system faces rising demand, funding gaps, and workforce shortages; urgent reform is needed to ensure sustainable, equitable, and affordable future care.
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Is New Zealand’s capitation formula still fit for purpose?

  • Client: Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora
Sapere’s modelling for Te Whatu Ora updates New Zealand’s capitation formula, using richer data to better align primary care funding with real patient and community needs.
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Shaky ground or solid progress?

  • Client: Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment
In this report Sapere evaluated MBIE’s earthquake-prone building system, finding improved national consistency and progress but ongoing challenges with resources, communication, and timely remediation.
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Social Return on Investment (SROI) of a mental health helpline

  • Client: Whakarongorau Aotearoa / New Zealand Telehealth
Sapere was asked to undertake an SROI of a mental healthline, finding the service delivers a 9:1 return, demonstrating substantial societal and health system value across diverse user needs.
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Powering the future: Key challenges and insights for New Zealand’s energy market

The article highlights New Zealand’s energy challenges, emphasising the need for secure, reliable electricity amidst decarbonisation, market uncertainty, and regulatory reform to support long-term investment and energy security.
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The economic impact of the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Australian finance industry

  • Client: Australian Finance Industry Association
This report explores how AI adoption in Australian finance could add $48.9B to GDP by 2035 through productivity gains.
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