​His journey started, perhaps unexpectedly, with the sale of a successful startup in Australia. What followed wasn’t a retreat, but a return—to Aotearoa, to the whenua near Cromwell, and to a purpose that felt deeply necessary. With his wife, Mike bought land and planted a cherry orchard. It seemed like a good way to contribute to climate action—until climate scientist Carly Green helped quantify the impact.

While 9,300 cherry trees would sequester about three tonnes of CO₂ annually, the traditional diesel-run orchard setup would emit 50 tonnes each year. That contrast sparked something bigger. Mike made the call to run Forest Lodge Orchard entirely on electricity—tractors, frost fans, sprayers, even the motorbikes. And just like that, the world’s first fully electric orchard was born.

​But Mike didn’t stop at innovation. He opened the gates. Over 12,000 people, many of them skeptical farmers, have walked the rows of Forest Lodge, witnessing firsthand how clean energy can power productivity. What they leave with isn’t just inspiration—it’s a shift in mindset.

​Mike’s bigger mission is now playing out through Rewiring Aotearoa, a think-and-do tank pushing for widespread electrification across the country. To him, the path forward is clear: we don’t need to go backwards to go green. We can power our homes, farms, and businesses with local, clean energy. It’s a win for the climate, for our wallets, and for our national energy resilience.

​He draws inspiration from Dr Saul Griffith and global initiatives like Rewiring America, bringing their ethos to New Zealand’s unique context. And while Mike’s work is driven by data, his message is refreshingly human. He doesn’t shame fossil fuels or ask people to sacrifice. Instead, he speaks in plain language—about costs, savings, and better alternatives.

​What sets Mike apart is his clarity. Sustainability, he says, is an energy problem—and the solutions are within reach. It’s not about guilt; it’s about good choices. It’s about showing people that switching to electric is smart, not just ethical.

​Funding, of course, remains a challenge. Rewiring Aotearoa is philanthropically supported, and to keep moving at speed, Mike knows they need backing. But what they’ve already achieved speaks volumes. Their impact is growing rapidly, and the momentum is hard to ignore.

​For Mike, New Zealand’s superpower lies in its potential to lead—not by being perfect, but by being brave. “We have the resources,” he says. “Now we need the will.” And if Forest Lodge Orchard is anything to go by, showing what’s possible can be the spark that changes everything.

​If there’s one seed of change Mike hopes to plant, it’s this: when it’s time to replace something—whether it’s a car, a heat pump, or a tractor—choose electric. It’s a simple decision with transformational power. Because sometimes, the most radical change starts with just plugging in.

‍