Keith Turner

"For the participant in the April 22, 2006 Harris County, Texas assault incident, see that article"-----Dr. Keith Turner BE (Hons), ME, PhD, is an influential New Zealand businessman. He was Chief Executive of New Zealand electricity generator and retailer Meridian Energy since the company's inception in 1999, until March 2008cite web|author=Meridian Energy|url=http://www.meridianenergy.co.nz/AboutUs/News/Meridian+Energy+CEO+to+step+down+in+March+2008.htm|title=Meridian Chief Executive to step down in March 2008|accessdate=2008-04-14] . He has been a director of Auckland International Airport since 2004. In September 2007, New Zealand Listener magazine placed Keith Turner in 14th position in its 2007 Power List of the 50 most powerful people in New Zealand, down from 12th in the 2006 Power List and 42nd place in 2005cite web|author=New Zealand Listener|url=http://www.listener.co.nz/issue/3418/features/5123/power_list_people_11-50,4.html|title=2006 Power List of the 50 most powerful people in New Zealand|accessdate=2007-07-31|date=November 2006] .

Career

Keith Turner has worked in the New Zealand electricity industry since 1969. He has held positions as managing director of DesignPower, a professional engineering consultancy to the electricity industry. He was Chief Operating Officer of the Electricity Corporation of New Zealand prior to its breakup in 1999.

Renewable energy

Often outspoken, Turner has a passion for New Zealand; for social, economic and environmental sustainability, and especially for renewable energycite web|author=Sarah Daniell - New Zealand Listener|url=http://www.listener.co.nz/issue/3452/features/6504/power_broker.html|title=Power Broker|accessdate=2006-07-26] . In a defining speech "The case for renewable generation" in 2004 he said: "The choices we make – you and I and the rest of New Zealand – the choices we make over the next few years, are going to shape the energy structure of our society for at least the next one, and possibly the next two, generations"cite web|author=Meridian Energy|url=http://www.meridianenergy.co.nz/aboutus/newsevents/news/the+case+for+renewables.htm|title=The case for renewable generation|accessdate=2006-07-24] .

Keith Turner notes that a viable transmission grid is an important ingredient of his renewable energy strategycite web|date=August 30 2005|author=Meridian Energy|url=http://www.meridianenergy.co.nz/aboutus/news/new+zealand+wind+energy+association+conference+.htm|title=New Zealand Wind Energy Association Conference|accessdate=2006-07-24] .. He has been critical of the lack of investment in the electricity transmission grid in New Zealand by the state-owned enterprise Transpower, and has been quick to comment in the media on occasions when grid reliability is called into question. In November 2005, he advised that "New Zealand's electricity grid is so overworked that some lines cannot be taken out for servicing", which was vindicated in June 2006 when half of Auckland lost power during a storm, because an earth wire snapped and fell on switching equipmentcite web|author=The Dominion Post|date=15 June 2006|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3700705a11,00.html|title=Expect more blackouts, Auckland told|accessdate=2006-07-24] .

References