Island residents pay about 175 to 200 per cent of mainland electricity prices, the mayor said. Given Stewart Island is mostly a National Park, a Dark Skies Sanctuary and was aiming to be predator free, running on diesel was not a good look, Tong said. As well as land access issues, it materialised that there was not enough wind on the island, Tong said. “The final nail was the wind readings.” The project was in a pre-development design and feasibility study stage. Putting three turbines, or possibly four, at the airport had been considered, but the structures would have been in the emergency flight path, Tong said.