The 'Electric Election': energy policies, side by side
At the Farmers for Climate conference in Canberra, Mike Casey shared his electric story of bill savings and emissions reductions and, with an expansion of a loan scheme, there's an opportunity for Aussie farmers to follow suit.
As the story said:
Mike Casey who is the chief executive of Rewiring Aotearoa runs the world’s first fully electric cherry farm in New Zealand.
Casey shared his insights with farmers about what he’s gained from going fully electric, which involved investing in solar and battery, electric tractors and electric frost fans, saving tens of thousands annually.
“Replacing our diesel machines with electric ones certainly wasn’t cheap. The upfront costs were significant, but it made economic sense because we’d save more money in the long run,” Mike Casey said.
The forward thinking farmer said any help people could get to make the switch was a step in the right direction.
“New Zealand is obviously different to Australia in many ways but I would say any help to make it easier for farmers to harness renewables is a good thing,” he said.
It comes as the Federal Government announced a $1 billion boost to the Regional Investment Corporation’s loan funding capacity.
The money can be burrowed by farmers facing difficulty, including drought-affected producers, to improve the resilience and profitability of their farms.
The Federal Government also announced it was expanding the Regional Investment Corporation’s scope to help farmers improve their climate resilience, and ensuring the agriculture sector was a part of Australia’s transition to net zero.
Rewiring Australia CEO Francis Vierboom said the broadening of the scope would allow farmers to invest in electric technology being harnessed by farmers like Mike Casey.
“Farmers have a lot to gain by harnessing renewable energy. By switching to electric, they can slash fuel bills, and reduce running costs by generating and storing their own power,” Rewiring Australia CEO Francis Vierboom said.
“We welcome the expansion of the RIC loans to include climate resilience. It will help farmers learning from experts like Mike Casey take that real-world knowledge back to their own farms, and save money and reduce their carbon footprint at the same time,” he said.
'Twas the night before Chris-mas, and all through the house, all the voters were stirring, the pundits showing their nous … the election will soon be over, but the energy crisis won't, so we'll be there to pester whoever is in power about the need to run more of the economy on New Zealand-made energy; can Ethiopia's aggressive push for EVs work and how does New Zealand compare in terms of adoption rates?; a two-way charging trial from Genesis shows promise in Auckland, but there's still a way to go before it's mainstream; small electric vehicles are often overlooked when it comes to electrifying transport, but it's hard to miss this weird French one; a solar-powered cafe (and some electric coffee); and we endorse the political vandalism of Keith of All Trades.
Read moreDownloadPoliticians are being urged to adopt stronger electric vehicle incentives ahead of the election. Climate and energy advocacy group Rewiring Aotearoa is arguing that EVs are one of the most effective long-term solutions for rising transport and energy costs. They're promoting an EV Salary Boost proposal, which would allow workers to access EVs through pre-tax salary arrangements – similarly to already existing schemes in the UK and Australia. Policy and Government Relations Spokesperson Ngaio Neumegen told Kerre Woodham that even with the rising cost of power, it's still cheaper to run an EV than a car running on imported fuel.
A proposal that would let New Zealanders lease an electric car using their before-tax pay has not won a commitment from either National or Labour, with the 7 November election days away. Under the EV Salary Boost, put forward by Rewiring Aotearoa and Drive Electric, an employee would lease a new or used EV for three to five years. The payments would come out of their pay before tax, lowering the cost of running the car. The idea is based on Australia’s novated leasing system, though the groups say they are not proposing a direct copy.
Read moreDownload
