The figures were released today in the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's December quarter 2014 edition of the NZ Energy Quarterly.

"This is an increase of nearly 5% on 2013, when the share of renewable electricity generation over the year was 75.1%," Simon Bridges said.

During much of the previous decade the share of renewable electricity generation was in the 60-70% range, before beginning to climb in 2009 after the conservative Key government came to power.

"So the overall trend is very positive and shows we're making strong progress towards our ambitious goal of having 90% of New Zealand's electricity supply generated by renewables by 2025".

Geothermal generation has more than doubled over the past decade and for the first time in 40 years, geothermal electricity generation contributed more electricity than natural gas during 2014.

"This is a clear sign that when a government enables a market with direction and certainty, it results in real investor confidence," Bridges said.

"These figures are a reminder of the renewable advantage NZ enjoys as a result of our abundant energy resources.

"Globally, the value of the renewable energy industry is growing, which also presents opportunities to leverage our expertise and experience."

He will promote NZ's geothermal sector at the World Geothermal Congress in Melbourne, Victoria, later this year.

That's ironic, because Melbourne is also hosting Australia's major oil and gas conference, APPEA, and Victoria is a state where you can't drill for oil, gas or geothermal energy, thanks to a state government moratorium into drilling.

"I want to ensure that we make the most of the huge comparative advantage we have in New Zealand's renewable energy supply and expertise, particularly in geothermal," Bridges said.