The Iran conflict has done in months what years of policy debate could not - made our exposure to international energy prices impossible to ignore. Fuel prices have more than doubled since the Strait of Hormuz closed. For an industry that runs nearly exclusively on diesel, suddenly alternative energy options come into sharp focus.

We should not be entirely surprised. When your business depends on a commodity priced in US dollars and routed through geopolitical flashpoints halfway around the world, the risk was always there. The question now is what we do about it.

The industry is starting to respond. At NRC, we are seeing the increasing levels of interest from transport operators considering new orders for electric trucks. Businesses who were sceptical two years ago are now asking hard commercial questions. For the first time battery electric heavy truck performance is now reaching genuine parity with diesel. Foodstuffs for example have a Deepway truck running daily between Palmerston North and Wellington on a single charge.

There is also broader energy news worth welcoming. The Government has confirmed that an LNG import facility will be built at Port Taranaki and operational by 2028. For our members in Taranaki's civil construction sector, the build itself will generate much-needed work. More importantly, it will help restore energy security for gas and electricity users across New Zealand. The market has already noticed: wholesale electricity prices for 2028/29 have dropped $20 per MWh on the strength of the announcement alone. High energy costs have been driving deindustrialisation in this country for years, pushing businesses offshore that belong here. That trend needs to reverse, and this is a meaningful step toward doing so.

At NRC, we are helping our members make important decisions on whether to purchase low or zero-emission vehicles. Through our partnership with EECA we have built a free total cost of ownership tool so operators can compare electric and hydrogen options against diesel with real numbers, not guesswork. We have a range of initiatives to help de-risk the transition into new technology.

If you are seriously considering alternatives to diesel, and given where prices are heading you should be, please reach out to the team. We are here to help.

Justin Tighe-Umbers, Chief Executive, National Road Carriers Assn