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The changing climate could have major benefits in the way New Zealand harnesses wind power generation.

Research by Otago University has found linking wind farm networks in the North and South Island's could boost reliability from the country's variable winds.

It also found that when winds are poor for generation in the North Island, generally conditions are good further south.

Five percent of New Zealand's electricity supply comes from windfarms and produce 690 megawatts - about the same amount as 300,000 Kiwi homes use in a year.

The Department of Geography's Nicolas Cullen claims there's also a good chance climate change will see New Zealand become windier in the future.

"We're now in a position to start identifying how some of these weather patterns might change and I think that's what makes this research quite unique," he said.

Cullen believes, "interconnecting the grid across the country in a way which is perhaps not being done at the moment could be really productive."

Climate change is likely to drastically effect New Zealand in coming decades. According to the Ministry of Environment, changing climates could bring higher temperatures and sea levels, and more frequent extreme weather events such as droughts and floods.