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Bidirectional charging starts to float down the mainstream in New Zealand; how hot water and EVs could turn cities into giant batteries; Nelson joins the smart 'n sunny club and puts some panels on public buildings; good news as China goes backwards; two new electric big rigs reach New Zealand; and a potential solution for Shotover Jet.

Pick the right power. Vote Electric!

Analysis by Rewiring Aotearoa shows that all light vehicles being subject to Road User Charges will help level the playing field for electric vehicles and stop an unfair tax advantage for petrol cars. 

Rewiring Aotearoa has been working hard to demonstrate the economic and environmental benefits of electric homes with solar, and Simplicity Living, which announced today that it will spend around $500 million to build 600 long-term rental homes in Queenstown, is well and truly onboard. 

In October 2024, Chris Nelder, host of the Energy Transitions Show, visited the world’s first all-electric farm while traveling across New Zealand. He spoke with the farm’s co-owner and co-founder, Mike Casey, about the farm and the work of Rewiring Aotearoa to electrify millions of fossil fuel machines.

“We need more analysis," said pretty much every incumbent faced with a change that might affect their business and instead benefit customers. And that’s pretty much exactly what the energy incumbents said in their submissions to the Electricity Authority on decentralised energy systems.

St Heliers Presbyterian Church and Community Centre has seen the light! Jody Bews-Hair, one of the directors of the charitable company operating Community Centre facilities and project co-initiator, says installing 68 solar panels and a battery was driven by three key motivations: building community resilience, environmental sustainability, and managing rising energy costs.

Electrify Wānaka group secretary Pierre Marasti knows all about the economic benefits of electric homes because he's been living in one for a few years and he and the team of volunteers have been sharing that knowledge far and wide. "Our focus is on the cost of living, and we do not think that enough people realise that electrifying everything is the cheapest way forward for everyone in New Zealand." Upfront costs remain the biggest barrier but, as Mike Casey explained to the Otago Daily Times, that might be about to change because the Queenstown Lakes District Council has decided to support the proposed Ratepayer Assistance Scheme alongside a number of other councils.

The big solar installs continue in New Zealand at Go Media Stadium and Ngā Hua e Whā, the largest marae in the Southern Hemisphere; rooftop solar closes in on our biggest power plants; the world's biggest battery is switched on in Australia and lots of small batteries play an important role in California; Bloomberg looks at the incorrect predictions on EV adoption and how they're wrong in both directions; it's not just the wealthy countries adopting EVs as Nepal hits 76%; GM gets the record for longest drive on a single charge; and dads like electric stuff.

Rewiring Aotearoa's Jenny Sahng explains the many benefits of going electric and running on the sun for the Superhome Movement's super solar webinar.

Does Indonesia have a returns policy? Despite plenty of talk over the years about the Huntly Power Station being switched off, yesterday the big gentailers reached an agreement to chip in for a big stack of coal so they can ensure the lights stay on if we experience another energy crunch like we did last year. ‍As Mike Casey told Ryan Bridge on Newstalk ZB, bringing in more coal is not ideal, but something had to be done in the short term to deal with our rapidly declining gas reserves. And using more solar and building more renewables and using our stockpile of water in our hydro lakes means we might not need to burn it.

One of the first community electrification groups to be established was Electrify Wānaka. From asking council for plan changes that would allow more solar to be installed (and pointing out that certain restrictions are at odds with council's climate ambitions) to setting up stands outside the supermarket to share the economic benefits of electric homes and transport, local leaders like Pierre Marasti and Lauren Fraser are helping to modernise the rules, save households money, reduce emissions and set a good example for the next generation.

"From cherry orchard to national model for electrification, Mike is turning talk into action and unlocking a cleaner, fairer, more prosperous nation where climate is an opportunity, not a cost."

Kirsty Johnston digs into the detail of the Government's repeal of the oil and gas exploration ban and asks a pertinent question: what if it doesn't work? "Forecasts say there is barely enough gas left in our existing oil and gas fields to last the decade, and even that is an optimistic guess. Demand now outstrips supply, forcing some businesses to struggle for gas, others onto 'demand management' plans requiring production shutdowns to support the electricity grid, and some to close operations entirely."

With the repeal of the oil and gas exploration ban, we're basically investing in Nokia after the iPhone was released. As Rewiring Aotearoa's Mike Casey says, gas is inefficient, it's expensive, not much has been found in New Zealand despite plenty of attempts, and what we do have is running out faster than expected. So why are we investing in an increasingly obsolete technology?

Unmanaged EV charging that occurs at network and system peaks could add unnecessary electricity infrastructure investment, increasing bills for all customers. Investment in our networks is scaled to meet peak demands and has the potential to significantly increase electricity bills over the coming decades. It is important we take action to shift demand, where it makes sense, to avoid peak demand increases. Rewiring Aotearoa is very supportive of the efforts the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment is taking to consider options to deliver a more flexible electricity system that will lower system costs for all consumers. Uptake of smart EV chargers is one way to manage peak EV demand and support a lower system cost. However we do not think there is a strong enough case to mandate that all fixed EV charging units sold in New Zealand must be smart.

New Zealand invests in the wrong tech and heads back to 2017; Aurora's doubling of the export limit and what it means for solar installs; East restaurant and Sudima Hotels embrace induction woks and get set to upgrade the rest of its gas equipment; Samuel L Jackson extols the many virtues of wind energy; Jason Gunn goes electric; and the world's first e-bike that can be charged with a laptop cord.

BusinessDesk investigates the energy sector, the role of Huntly, the lack of domestic gas and its impact on business and electricity prices. What it doesn't talk about, however, is the role that solar could play in the system to keep our lakes high and our prices low.

Rewiring Aotearoa supports the proposed changes to Multiple Trading Relationships (MTR) (allowing two traders – distributed generation and consumption), which will increase consumer choice and introduce more competition to retail tariffs. For example, it will disincentivise tariffs that offer competitive export tariffs, but also ramp up consumption tariffs. The Electricity Authority should also implement changes at this time that require retailers to allow large sites to share solar across multiple co-located installation control points (ICPs, i.e. ICP aggregation), and facilitate peer to peer trading for small scale renewable generators with local sites. Rewiring Aotearoa disagrees that delaying these steps via a staged approach is in consumers best interest. Consumers should not have to wait until demand increases to unlock the benefits of their solar and battery systems or access more competitive options from retailers. This should be supported now, to help consumers make investment and retail tariff decisions that reduce their overall energy bills.

On RNZ's First Up, Mike Casey spoke with Nathan Rarere about the increasingly compelling economics of solar and the positive signals coming from Energy and Climate Change Minister Hon. Simon Watts MP FCA. As he says, the Government is aiming to double the amount of renewable electricity being produced and a high percentage of that "could and will come from customers generating the energy themselves". "It's around treating the customer as part of the infrastructure of New Zealand... and removing the barriers that are getting in the way of this stuff happening."

"Don't wait. Start small, but get into it." Evan Maehl, CEO of Waste Management NZ, certainly hasn't waited when it comes to electrification.

We appreciate that broader resource management reform is underway that will ultimately provide a more consistent national framework. However, we cannot afford to wait for the perfect system while workable solutions are delayed. In the meantime, inconsistent and unnecessary consenting requirements for small-scale ground-mounted solar are slowing down projects that could deliver immediate benefits - lowering energy costs, strengthening resilience, and supporting the grid. While long-term reform is important, immediate adjustments will ensure small-scale solar isn’t held back by outdated or inconsistent rules.

Rather than relying on unproven technologies like carbon capture or unreliable offsets in the form of overseas trees, upgrading our small fossil fuel machines to electric equivalents and running them off renewable electricity is one of the best ways to reach our climate targets. We've been saying it for a while and the Climate Change Commission agrees, with an RNZ story saying "there are big opportunities in renewable energy and clean farming that could cut household bills, help businesses - and get the country back on track".

Lowest prices are just the beginning this week as Bunnings gets into the solar and battery game in a big way in Australia with plans for a zero-dollar upfront deal; Port Nelson has electric lift off with its new crane and a new solar powered hybrid cargo ship is launched; Inductive Robotics wants to bring chargers to the cars, rather than the other way around; a new campaign suggests that South Australians are revolting and loving it; and Johnny Solar releases a beautiful version of The Kinks' Lola.

"Investing in natural gas in homes doesn’t make economic sense anymore for New Zealanders ... Rewiring Aotearoa’s view is that the Government should support a managed transition away from natural gas for the homes and non-industrial businesses connected to reticulated natural gas distribution networks. This would help address inequity for households on low incomes and renters, and provide greater certainty over how quickly customers will disconnect, when networks would likely retire and cost recovery timelines."

Flexibility is an important aspect of our future energy system because we need to avoid over-spending on infrastructure and increasing bills when we could instead make better use of our existing poles and wires. The Electricity Authority's moves to lower off-peak power and offer higher export rates at peak are positive, but, as Kimberley O'Sullivan writes, "it is clear the sheer size and complexity of the problems mean government action, with community and industry collaboration, needs to go beyond slightly cheaper electricity when there is less demand." As she says, helping more New Zealanders, particularly renters and low-income homes, access solar with long-term low-interest finance is one of the main ways of reducing the cost of electricity.

Gavin Shoebridge runs through the many reasons EVs make sense in an opinion piece in The Post and points to Rewiring Aotearoa's research showing that "with smarter planning, EVs can play an important role in New Zealand’s energy grid, with the potential to save billions as a country. By tapping into EV batteries as decentralised energy storage, we can flatten peak demand, reduce blackout risks, and save on long-term infrastructure costs".

Rewiring Aotearoa has long argued that there were arbitrary restrictions on the amount of power those with rooftop solar could export to the grid and that was leading to smaller systems and savings - and higher electricity prices for everyone else. We said we'd be keeping an eye on the networks to ensure they followed the Government's recommendations so it's pleasing to see Aurora double its export limit for households from 5kw to 10kw.

There are an increasing number of Bright Sparks in the rural sector who have figured out that there is money to be saved and emissions to be reduced by embracing solar. Aidan Bichan from Kaiwaiwai Dairies in South Wairarapa realised that earlier than most.

Andrea Vance digs into the big infrastructure deficit faced by Queenstown as it deals with rapid growth - and Rewiring Aotearoa's Josh Ellison explains how the ambitious Queenstown Electrification Accelerator will help address the region's energy concerns and turn it into the world's most electric destination.

Auckland CBD's biggest solar install shows that existing rooftops - big and small - are an easy win for electricity generation; New Zealand researchers leading the world on solar efficiency; a clever scheme to train up more heat pump installers in the UK; a very early example of loadshifting; and electric school buses hit the road in the US.

Fairly compensating households, farmers, and businesses with solar and batteries that export power at peak will give customers a better deal and give a much needed jolt to a market that has been slow to innovate and make the most of new technology. 

Gas, batteries and emissions are discussed on RNZ's First Up - and we have some thoughts.

For Jack Tame, the question of going solar is not if, but when. As he said on his Newstalk ZB show after confronting a big electricity bill, "there are only so many gains to be won from policing light switches and shower times. I’m seriously wondering about solar ... The huge surge in solar is being driven by economics. Put simply, solar power is way, way, way cheaper than other forms of electricity generation. Between batteries and solar panels, the technology is only getting better and only getting cheaper."

Solar smashes a few records and helps the world get off gas and coal; homes, not power plants, are the key to lower power prices; 24 new bus chargers are installed in one day in Auckland; DARPA makes some very special popcorn by beaming energy wirelessly for 8km; and an astronomer discovers an addictive new star gazing app.

We know that going electric can help reduce household bills, but the upfront costs are still a big barrier for many. Getting past that requires access to finance and that's now closer than ever.

Rewiring Aotearoa's submission highlights that successful digitalisation should allow customers to maximise benefits from their provision of demand flexibility and solar and battery exports, without third parties (aggregators or VPPs) routinely taking a cut of the value. Retail offerings that include time of use prices and fair export tariffs will be key enablers of successful digitalisation of the electricity system. Customers need a fair deal through their electricity prices and export tariffs. This means the customers need to have the option to choose from a range of retail tariffs that include time of use prices, fair export tariffs (that reflect the value in the wholesale market) and symmetrical export tariffs from distributors.

'The neighbourhood effect' is a powerful force when it comes to influencing purchasing decisions. And that's why Bright Sparks like Stephen Drew are so crucial because they can give community members the knowledge and confidence they need to explore these cheaper, cleaner electric options for themselves.

Redwood Materials claims a record with old EV batteries used to store cheap solar to run a small data centre; OneEnergy launches a product that puts the sun directly into your water tank; more plug-in solar news from Ikea and Utah; very fast electric boats and cars; and a beautiful union between two star-crossed lovers.

While we like to talk about the economic, environmental and resilience benefits of using more electricity, there’s no denying that the news is dominated by stories about increasing electricity prices.

Evnex has established itself in New Zealand, and it's starting to plug in to the Australian market. Founder and CEO Ed Harvey and commercial & technical account manager Tony Davis take us for a tour of the Christchurch office where they assemble and test their smart chargers.

Rewiring Aotearoa's Queenstown Electrification Accelerator is on a mission to create the lowest bills, lowest emissions and highest resilience for the region, and make it easy for homes and businesses to go electric. And it just got a big boost after receiving $220,000 from the Central Lakes Trust.

On The Detail podcast, Sharon Brettkelly talks to Consumer's Paul Fuge about dwindling gas reserves, rising prices and why relying on new gas discoveries is a mug's game.

Victoria looks to get off the residential gas with a range of changes, an announcement in the UK gets everyone excited about V2X, why EVs are a good hedge against geopolitical strife, new comparison and switching partner announced (and we have a couple of requests), and it turns out that keeping the emissions out of the sky is a better idea than trying to catch them.

Rewiring Aotearoa is extremely supportive of the focus the Electricity Authority is putting into exploring opportunities and seeking views on a more ‘decentralised’ electricity system. It’s great to see the release of the Green Paper seeking views from New Zealanders on the role they can play in the future electricity system and how a more decentralised electricity system should evolve. As the Green Paper explains New Zealanders will benefit from a more decentralised, community-centric energy system through lower energy bills, greater energy resilience, fuel security and lower emissions. However there are some assumptions and emphasis in the Green Paper that we think needs to change

Rural Roundup's Andy Thompson talks to Mike Casey, a keynote speaker at the Primary Industries Summit, about the country's energy system and the growing appetite for solar among farmers.

More strong signals from the Government that it's focusing on lowering bills and embracing solar as projects in Rakiura / Stewart Island, Bay of Plenty and Hawke's Bay get loans of up to $28.1 million combined. "Solar power is playing an increasingly important role in increasing electricity generation in New Zealand. It will help us reach our renewable energy targets and bolster the security and affordability of our energy supply,” says Energy Minister Simon Watts.

An indepth study by EECA that aimed to show "where and under what conditions does investing in solar PV make sense?” has shown that rooftop solar "is likely to be financially viable for a significant proportion of New Zealand households, particularly for those who consume a lot of energy".

Rewiring Aotearoa's research has shown that rooftop solar is the cheapest delivered electricity available to New Zealand households, and a new in-depth study by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) has backed that up. "Solar panels now stack up financially for many households in all three of the country's biggest cities, as well as Queenstown ... plunging panel prices and rising electricity bills have tipped the scales in favour of rooftop solar for many homeowners."

Rewiring Aotearoa is supportive of the Innovation and non-traditional solutions allowance (INTSA) and the development of Guidance for submissions. Read our full submission by downloading the document.

Australia's battery sales take off as Government incentive drives demand; Australia's first urban renewable energy zone is announced; the Whole Story and Hutt City Council launch some electric resources for kids; Germany finds more uses for solar panels on its highways; and predictions versus reality when it comes to solar and coal.

While the potential implications of the Bill are wide-ranging, our submission has focused on the potential implications for the electrification of Aotearoa NZ if the Bill is enacted as proposed. This is pertinent to Rewiring’s work, because one of our core aims is to help reduce energy bills for customers - NZ’s households, farms, and businesses. Significant changes are needed to fix the status quo, and we are concerned that the Bill may inadvertently bake in the existing rules governing the sector.

Mt Somers farmer Duncan Humm said he was stoked to see the Solar for Farms announcement from Minister Simon Watts last week. “There are a whole lot of things coming together. She should be a bit of a race now.”

Rewiring Aotearoa is supportive of the development of Publicly Available Specification for Residential solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage systems guidelines. These guidelines can provide a consolidated and trusted source of information to help households navigate the process of choosing and installing solar PV and batteries. There is some messaging and information in the PAS that we think needs to be changed or added to provide households with the best advice to support them to maximise benefits from solar PV and batteries. This includes removing the focus on pay back periods and informing households about cost savings from day one from solar PV and batteries financed over the life of the system. Households also need information about the potential risks of some existing lease to own sales models which provide little real benefit to households with the bulk of the savings captured in suppliers profits. Download the document to read our full submission.

In Newsroom, incoming Meridian CEO Mike Roan questions the economic viability of rooftop solar. Here's Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey's full response.

Federated Farmers says an uptake in solar power would be “a massive win for security of energy supply and self-sufficiency on farm”. And, aligned with Rewiring Aotearoa, believes solar on existing farm rooftops and unusable land is a better idea than taking up productive land with solar farms.

Introducing Bright Sparks, a new regular feature where we shine a light on some of the country's electrification heroes. First up, electric maritime innovator Fiona Bycroft.

Mike Casey had "been wanting to create a fully electric ute to kind of prove that the technology could exist and then asking some questions as to why it doesn’t exist yet". The Otago Daily Times tells the tale of the Toyota Hilux conversion.

NZ Herald's Simon Wilson (paywalled) looks at why Melbourne is so different to Auckland and how changes announced by the Government last week "will give solar panels with a battery greater economic value for homeowners. It will also help with the security of the grid."

RNZ reports on the changes announced by Ministers SImon Watts and Chris Penk that aim to increase the uptake of residential rooftop solar. Rewiring Aotearoa's Mike Casey said the changes to voltage limit would mean more generation, "which is exactly what New Zealand needs… for households in Australia, the average size for solar systems is about 10kWh. In New Zealand it's 5 or 6kWh because solar installations are being built to the size people are allowed to export. This allows for higher levels of solar panels to be on homes. It makes larger systems more economical. When you finance solar panels on your mortgage it probably costs you 13c per kWh - there are many retailers out there buying power off you at more than 13 per kWh. So every piece of power that you don't use in your home that goes back to the grid is actually still in the economic best interest of the household."

With a classic Kiwi combination of pride and self-doubt, we charge our glasses after another big week of electric momentum; Auckland gets a glimpse of its first electric ferry from EV Maritime; Whakatane finds a clever way to get past the upfront costs and start running on the sun; a big study shows how pervasive EV myths have become even though they are "demonstrably false"; and our misperceptions continue when it comes to fires at battery energy storage systems.

More good news for New Zealanders looking to reduce their energy bills and the country's emissions, with Ministers Simon Watts and Chris Penk announcing a number of incentives for residential solar that Rewiring Aotearoa had been advocating for.

Blayne Slabbert from The Press examines why the "conditions are ideal" for farmers thinking about adding solar, with install prices dropping, rising grid electricity prices and cheap finance and Government support now available. As Mike Casey says: “Usually people build a system to save money and quickly realise there’s an opportunity to make money."

There's money on the table for farmers that embrace solar. And with new announcements from the Government, Farmlands and ASB, there's never been a better time to embrace the sun. Solayer's Becks Smith and Farmlands Flex CEO Andrew Pegler joined Kathryn Ryan on Nine to Noon to talk about the growing interest in rural solar and storage and, as Pegler said: "I don't think it's an early adopter thing anymore. I think farmers are ready. They were just looking for someone to bring a solution that they trusted, somewhere they could ask questions and not feel like they're asking a silly question, so the response has been amazing."

The innovative Central Otago cherry orchardist says Fieldays is a “dream come true” and his favourite day of the year. He talks about encouraging farmers to farm energy through solar panels, and an “epic” cherry season.

In our policy manifesto, the number one thing we're hoping to get across the line is a scheme that gives everyone access to low-interest long-term loans for electrification upgrades. We believe the best way to do that is through the proposed Ratepayer Assistance Scheme and The Post's Harriet Laughton has looked at that scheme and what that might mean. Several large councils are already backing it, others are being asked to support it, and Simon 'MegaWatts' Watts has also indicated he's supportive. That could mean New Zealanders would be able to get cheaper finance to install electric appliances like heat pumps for space and hot water and solar and battery systems - and they would be saving money on their energy bills from day one.

At Fieldays, Minister Simon 'MegaWatts' Watts has lived up to his moniker (and followed through on a number of Rewiring Aotearoa's requests) and delivered some good news for farmers looking to run on the sun.

The Queenstown region has played a central role in New Zealand’s renewable energy history. And now it’s about to play an important role in the world’s renewable energy future.

"The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority is undergoing a painful pivot, having tens of millions slashed from its operational funding over several years as the previous administration’s policies are swept away or changed," writes David Williams in Newsroom. Mike Casey, whose all-electric orchard was supported by EECA grants, weighs in on the changes and what he would like to see EECA focus on.

Newstalk ZB's Ryan Bridge talks to Mike Casey about the launch of the Queenstown Electrification Accelerator (and announces his dream of getting solar panels on Mike Hosking's roof). As he said: "We think Queenstown is possibly the best opportunity we have to start trying out things and doing the real world action we need to quickly electrify a particular place. The business community is really aligned under the carbon zero 2030 targets set by council, the council is really aligned, and there are a lot of very active community members in this space who are super excited. Queenstown pays some of the highest energy prices in New Zealand, so it's a really good place to start and there are also problems with resilience from the Alpine Fault so it's a good idea to have Queenstown generating and storing energy itself and having machines that can use that energy." Listen from 11.20.

Crux talks to Mike Casey about the launch of Rewiring Aotearoa's ambitious new Queenstown Electrification Accelerator project. "The vision is big. To make Queenstown the global capital of total electrification - buses, cars, hotels, our airport, houses - and yes, even gondolas. For the region to become the world’s most electrified destination."

Rural solar already made sense in most cases, but ASB has made it even more appealing with the launch of what could be seen as the farm equivalent of a green loan: 0% interest for five years for farm installs worth up to $150,000. Aidan Gent, general manager of ASB Rural, talked to Kerre Woodham on Newstalk ZB and explained the thinking behind the offer.

Alexia Russell from The Detail podcast talked to Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey about the Machine Count, the policy manifesto and the fact that the organisation "appears to be making headway when it comes to engaging a Government that’s disengaged on climate change", with Minister Simon Watts showing interest in low-interest, long-term electrification loans.

Lucy Cooper talks to Justine Prain and Vern Brassel about two free events that are "designed to light a spark for those thinking about electrifying their homes and businesses".

Whena Owen digs into some recent political ads targeting politicians in Wellington and asks Minister Simon Watts about the challenge that was laid down by Rewiring Aotearoa's 'MegaWatts' campaign. As he said: "I've had a lot of speculation about what I'm wearing under the suit."

⚡🍿 One man. One manifesto. Many portfolios. His name is MegaWatts and he has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to save households thousands on their energy bills, save the country $11 billion every year, slash our emissions, keep the lights on, grow the economy, and help New Zealand lead the world.✊ Will he grasp it? Or will others step in and steal his thunder in next year’s ‘electric election'?

In this week's collection of electric eyecatchers, Utrecht unveils a pioneering car sharing scheme that embraces vehicle-to-grid technology and bidirectional charging; a company making solar panels that blend in beautifully; a successful community energy project in Rio De Janeiro helps favela residents; China continues to dominate the global electrification race; Saul Griffith releases a new book on how to go electric; and reviewers* call the latest instalment of MegaWatts "a gripping romp, a triumph, a tour de force".

Bernard Hickey welcomes back Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey to The Spinoff and Kiwibank's When the Facts Change podcast after the release of the Machine Count report. It found there are around ten million fossil fuel machines in the country and 84% of them could be cost-effectively replaced with electric equivalents.

Mike Casey appeared on Michael Laws' show on The Platform last week to discuss the role of solar in our energy system, the goals of Rewiring Aotearoa, the bipartisan appeal of going electric because everyone gets what they want, and what to do with waste. As he said at the end of the interview, "if I can convince Michael Laws, I can convince anyone."

A massive week for New Zealand's electrification push with a big conference, a big manifesto and a big campaign aimed at a minister with a once-in-a-generation opportunity to do something big; Farmlands and Blackcurrent launch a new product to make it easier for farmers to invest in solar and storage; ASB compares a house run on dino juice with a house run on electricity; some sage advice from a solar expert about what to look out for; and a car that brings a new meaning to 'electricute'.

Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey joined RNZ's Emile Donovan to discuss one of the most important ideas from our recent policy manifesto: low-interest loans that will help accelerate electrification. He talks about why it's getting support, how the scheme will work, and how renters will benefit.

Our policy manifesto is aimed at all politicians, officials and regulators, but we’re laying down a particular challenge to the current Minister of Energy, Climate and Local Government Simon Watts, or as we have named him, MegaWatts. ‍Here's how you can help.

If New Zealand is going to, as Sir Peter Blake almost said, make the electric boat go faster, we need all our politicians, regulators and officials onboard so we get the changes we need. There has been broad support for the manifesto and it was comforting to see the Electricity Authority come out so strongly in support of it.

Newsroom journalist Marc Daalder, who was facilitating the discussion on the first day of the Electrify Queenstown conference, reports on the Government's active consideration of one of the most critical proposals in Rewiring Aotearoa's manifesto: electrification loans (and not just for solar) for everyone.

In the introduction to Rewiring Aotearoa's policy manifesto, CEO Mike Casey laid out a vision for New Zealand's energy future. We can fiddle around the edges of a broken system and preserve the status quo, or we can be bold, modernise it now and reap massive economic and environmental benefits. The plan is achievable and affordable. We just need the political leadership to bring it to life. ‍

In response to a critique of Rewiring Aotearoa's 'Watt Now?' explainers, Dr David Hall responds and explains why trying to reduce energy demand shouldn't be painted as the lesser of two evils.

Rewiring Aotearoa’s policy manifesto lays down a challenge to politicians, regulators and officials ahead of next year’s election and outlines an achievable and affordable plan to help address our cost of living, climate, productivity and energy security challenges. 

Energy has been a huge issue for the New Zealand economy in recent years, and a growing concern for everyday New Zealanders, but there wasn’t a huge focus on it in the Budget. While we see this as a missed opportunity, Minister Simon Watts, Minister Shane Jones and their Cabinet colleagues have an opportunity to make up for it before next year’s election and, next week, Rewiring Aotearoa will show them how with the launch of our policy manifesto.

Meridian cuts the ribbon on its big new battery set-up at a place that's closely connected to fossil fuels; Aussie company AUSEV gets approval to send its tweaked electric Ford utes to New Zealand; Pivotal sends its electric ultralight flying machine skyward; Phoenix explains - and expands - its solar panel recycling scheme; and Octopus Energy announces a scheme in the UK where landlords and tenants can benefit from solar.

The IEA's EV outlook shows another big bump in global sales; research shows what to focus on if you want to promote EVs (even to the sceptics); New Zealand solar uptake has spiked but is still a long way behind other markets; the price of renewables continues to fall faster than governments predict; the company improving induction (and trying to sneak batteries into homes in appliances); and the companies recycling batteries to get the minerals we need for the electric transition (at lower cost than 'virgin' mining).

'You're asking me to use more electricity even though it's getting more expensive?' As you may have gathered, we're pro-electron here at Rewiring, but it's hard to get past this perception and, over the past couple of years, stories about cost increases and supply shortages have been in the news a lot. Not surprisingly, that's affecting the attitudes of New Zealanders and a recent survey from Octopus Energy showed that 85% of respondents were just as worried or more worried about the rising price of electricity this year and 70% thought the Government wasn’t doing enough to help address these costs.

Newsroom's Marc Daalder reports on the mysterious disappearing home solar incentives proposed by climate change minister Simon Watts to then energy minister Simeon Brown, while Mike Casey explains why solar subsidies aren't necessarily needed but would help drive demand among consumers and bolster our hydro storage.

The first complete inventory of all the fossil fuel machines in New Zealand has found there are over 10 million of them and 84% could be feasibly replaced with electric machines that are available in the country today.

It's been a big week for Rewiring Aotearoa with the launch of the Machine Count and there's plenty of electric momentum elsewhere, too, as Tasmanian company Incat launches the world's biggest electric boat, Old Blighty backs Old Brighty with a policy to put solar on all new builds, a Swiss company's mission to add solar panels to the country's railway network and a helpful (satirical) app that allows you to 'meditate through the meltdown' and 'push down the climate anxiety'.

Tirau chicken farmer Jeff Collings talked to us for our Machine Count report and we thought his story deserved a bit more attention, so it was great to hear him interviewed by Jesse Mulligan on RNZ. 

"84% of the country’s machines had mainstream electric alternatives that were cost-competitive or cheaper over their lifetimes, and already available for purchase in New Zealand. The included space heaters, water heaters and small and medium cars." EECA’s Megan Hurnard said: “Replacing outdated machines with the same inefficient models risks locking in higher running costs, poor performance, and greater exposure to fuel price volatility." 

Whether you're in it for the economics or the emissions, upgrading to electric machines works - and it works particularly well in New Zealand, where we have lots of relatively cheap electricity and very expensive fossil fuels. Rewiring Aotearoa believes this transition is inevitable, primarily because it's crazy to use machines that cost more to do the same job and, increasingly, that's the case with fossil fuelled machines. Farmers and businesses are starting to grasp this, but Mike Hosking has a wee way to go. He discussed the Machine Count report on his Breakfast show. So do you agree with Mike Hosking ("Pointless. Waste of time. Nothing's changed) or Mike Casey ("We can solve climate and save everyone money")? Listen to Hosking's take on the Machine Count from 59.40.

The Post's Alka Prasad reports on Rewiring Aotearoa's Machine Count project, which found that "Aotearoa has over 10 million fossil fuel machines - those powered by petrol, diesel, gas and other fuels - that could switch to renewable energy and save the country 7.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions each year. But researchers quantifying this task found electrifying major agribusiness machinery was still difficult, especially in New Zealand, and at present, prohibitively expensive."

RNZ's Eloise Gibson reports on Rewiring Aotearoa's Machine Count report, which showed that New Zealand has 10 million fossil-fuelled machines, and more than 80 percent of them could be replaced by electric alternatives. [The report] found upgrading six million of the most easily 'electrifiable' machines in the country - including cars, heaters, lawnmowers, road bikes, ovens and stoves - would save the country approximately $8 million a day, or $3.7 billion each year.

New research from Rewiring Aotearoa has shown over three quarters of the country’s ten million fossil fuel machines could be replaced cost-effectively with electric equivalents right now.