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.

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 fegulations – 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.

Key contacts

Toby Stevenson

Director
WELLINGTON
tstevenson@thinkSapere.com

Kieran Murray

Managing Director
WELLINGTON
kmurray@thinkSapere.com

David Reeve

Director
AUCKLAND
dreeve@thinkSapere.com

Corina Comendant

Senior Managing Economist
AUCKLAND
ccomendant@thinkSapere.com

Some of our recent articles of interest

The economic benefits of a circular economy in Auckland

Client: Sustainable Business Network

This report provides a view on the potential economic benefits of a more circular economy for Auckland. It has been commissioned by the Sustainable Business Network to inform its report on the circular economy opportunity for Auckland.

The emissions footprint of broadband in New Zealand

Client: Chorus

This paper provides a first assessment of the emissions footprint of the current New Zealand fibre network, with a focus on internet provision to households and small to medium-sized businesses.

Making New Zealand safer: regulating the engineering profession

Client: Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment

Sapere prepared a Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) and cost-benefit analysis (CBA) to support MBIE’s proposal for an occupational regulatory regime for engineers.

Infrastructure consenting for climate targets

Client: Te Waihanga / New Zealand Infrastructure Commission

This research models the impact on New Zealand’s emissions reduction targets if the current resource consenting system continues to delay decisions on infrastructure project consenting.

Māori Primary Health Care

Client: Wai 2575 Claimants

Sapere were asked by the claimants to respond to the Waitangi Tribunal’s recommendation that a methodology be developed to measure the degree of underfunding of Māori PHOs and providers.

Sizing of the backyard and micro-commercial egg production in Australia

Client: Australian Eggs

Which came first the chicken or the egg? We don’t have the answer to that, but we do know the size of backyard and micro-commercial egg production in Australia.

A chance to make clinical trials sustainable, effective, and equitable in Aotearoa New Zealand

Client: Liggins Institute University of Auckland

Sapere provided extensive analytical support to a consortium of researchers from the University of Auckland and the University of Otago on a Health Research Council (HRC) and Ministry of Health funded research project. The consortium was brought together to review Aotearoa New Zealand’s clinical trials activity and infrastructure.