Stunt costs protesters energy meeting 

Greenpeace entered the Huntly Power Station on Monday to take action against what it labels one of New Zealand's biggest climate polluters, but the stunt cost them a meeting with the energy minister.

More than 15 members of Greenpeace's climate rescue team entered the coal-fired site with diggers and began loading coal from a stockpile onto trucks.

They took the coal back to Solid Energy's Rotowaro open cast coal mine, one of the coal supplies for Huntly, to return it to the ground.

"Coal is the most carbon polluting of all fossil fuels and burning it is one of the most destructive things we can do to the planet. New Zealand is blessed with a myriad of clean, renewable energy sources, and we must switch to them now if we want to maintain our environment, lifestyle and economy," said Greenpeace spokesperson Bunny McDiarmid.

The protest was part of Greenpeace's launch of its blueprint for powering New Zealand using entirely renewably resources, but Energy Minister David Parker was not impressed.

Greenpeace is advocating all non-renewable energy generation be replaced with wind, hydro and solar power by 2025.

"What we want the government to do, is start moving urgently towards a renewable electricity," Bunny McDiarmid of Greenpeace New Zealand says.

That would mean no gas or coal, which would lead to the closure of the Huntly station.

"We want Huntly to be phased out in the next 10 years," McDiarmid says.

Parker, who was due to meet with Greenpeace representatives on Monday to get their report on ideas for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, says he has now cancelled talks.

"Huntly can't shut down tomorrow, we need it otherwise the lights would go out."

He says the protest was illegal and unnecessary and a step too far.  However he says he will still give Greenpeace's revolution fair consideration.

"I do think they overstepped the mark today - it was a shameless act of self promotion."

The power makers say they are committed to cleaner energy, but are not convinced Greenpeace's deadline can be met.

"It's [Greenpeace's] goals are very tight, there's not sufficient generation to do it in 10 years," Genesis Energy CEO Murray Jackson says.

As part of the protest four Greenpeace members also scaled the 150 metre high smoke stack of the station. and another four climbed on top of the coal conveyor leading into the station to unfurl 45 metre anti-coal mining banners.

Greenpeace's protest comes during the start of a three day conference between key energy players to discuss how New Zealand's future energy demands can be met.

Separately, Trustpower claims 14,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions will be offset from Monday, thanks to the first two wind turbines commissioned at its Tararua wind farm.

The turbines will also provide enough power for 2,700 homes.

Another 29 turbines will be gradually commissioned over the next four months.

The $185 million wind farm will eventually power 42,000 homes.