A board of inquiry headed by Judge Gordon Whiting has given its approval for Contact Energy's power plant near Taupo. The whole process of approving the geothermal plant has been so fast that Environment Minister Nick Smith has hailed it.

The total cost of the project is said to be $1 billion and the capacity of the same is going to be Tauhara II 250-megawatt geothermal power station. But, even after all this the company has said that it is unsure as of now when it will begin work on it.

Meanwhile, the minister reiterated the point that the project was first of its kind under the national consenting process of the reformed Resource Management Act. He said that it was for the first time in the last two decades that such a huge project has been given a green signal in only 8 months.

This is a good sign since long delays in getting consent for renewable energy projects is what makes it unattractive for the company to come into the area.

That also means that the jobs which could have been created are getting wasted too.