Methanex gas has a much more strategic purpose than being squandered to produce and export methanol. The second foolish decision is to abandon the feasibility study for the Lake Onslow pumped hydro project. The government abandoned the Lake Onslow feasibility study with a lot of petulant rhetoric and shamefully misleading comment on costs. Investment in a facility such as Lake Onslow would immediately provide opportunity for new generator entrants to buy storage, or ‘‘firming’’. Because the Lake Onslow project sets out to correct a market failure, some regulatory or contractual changes would be needed for it to proceed.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 31, 2026 17:02 UTC