The Northland power company Top Energy has the green light for a multi-million dollar expansion of its geothermal power station at Ngawha near Kaikohe.
A panel of three independent commissioners has granted consents for a staged development that will triple the amount of electricity produced by the Ngawha geothermal field.
The proposal attracted just 13 submissions, 11 of which opposed to the expansion.
Tangata whenua have been worried about the effect of taking more geothermal fluid from the ground, and the potential impacts on the Ngawha hot springs.
But the commissioners have decided the impact will be no more than minor, and they have imposed a raft of conditions on the project.
Top Energy is applying for consent to expand its geothermal power generation plant at Ngawha with two 25 MW units.
