Keith Turner (businessman)

Keith Sharman Turner is a New Zealand businessman. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand.

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 2005.

Keith Turner's early career was in the New Zealand electricity industry, in which he began in 1969.

Often outspoken, Turner has a passion for New Zealand; for social, economic and environmental sustainability, and especially for renewable energy. 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".

Keith Turner notes that a viable transmission grid is an important ingredient of his renewable energy strategy. 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 by the 2006 Auckland Blackout, when half of Auckland lost power during a storm, because an earth wire snapped and fell on switching equipment.

Dr Turner is part owner of Waitaki Wind Limited, a company investigating wind farms in Otago.

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