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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.

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.”

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.

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."

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.

Resilience from solar and batteries comes to the fore after more severe weather events, big overseas outages and fossil fuel issues; Australia's electric election offers a glimpse at what next year might look like in New Zealand; US students from Worcester Polytechnic Institute need your help to improve their electrification dashboard; a new 'radically affordable' and 'radically personalisable' EV ute (and its unhinged ad) is launched in the US; and what needs to change so we can re-use big EV batteries in other ways.

Mike Casey’s approach to sustainability is as bold and unapologetic as the message emblazoned across his work: Whakahiko te ao – Electrify everything. For Mike, sustainability isn’t a passive aspiration—it’s an active pursuit grounded in data, driven by urgency, and infused with positivity.

It's ANZAC Day and we're showcasing the good kind of arms race as CATL one-ups BYD with its speedy new battery charging technology, big new storage systems take off in Aus, and prices continue to drop; why workplace EV charging is a good option for businesses and the grid; solar becomes transportable with an Austrian company's fold out container solution; an indepth look at Christchurch Airport's new electric firetruck; and solar enthusiasts take it a bit too far.

We love a tipping point at Rewiring. We reached an important one last year when our Electric Home research showed that New Zealand was one of the first countries in the world where buying and running electric machines in your home was cheaper than gas and petrol equivalents. And we may have reached another one recently because residential gas connections have dropped from 291,586 in mid-December to 290,530 in mid-April.

Substitution, not sacrifice. Lifetime savings, not upfront costs. Cheap locally-made electrons, not expensive foreign molecules. These were the main messages at Wheels at Wānaka, where around 65,000 people streamed through the gates to honour the past and get a glimpse of the electric future. TVNZ's Jared McCulloch was there to capture the action, and he stopped in to talk about Forest Lodge Orchard's electric 1990 Toyota Hilux.

New Zealand cherry grower Mike Casey runs what is considered to be the world's first fully electric farm.

TVNZ's Cushla Norman reports that "households hooked up to reticulated gas are facing average price increases of 10% to their energy bills" while some growers are facing huge price increases. In both cases, there are limited options to change suppliers and unnecessarily large disconnection fees.

Plenty of electric easter treats this week, with more electric buses heading to Dunedin and Wellington (and some more positive regional competition); a major new study shows EVs are more reliable than internal combustion cars; the Tesla Cybertruck stops in for a visit at Forest Lodge Orchard; an enterprising Aussie tests a solar solution to charge his electric ute, and all-electric housing developments coming up with new business models and offering greater resilience to storms.

On Nine to Noon, Kathryn Ryan looked at the growing issue of homes with piped or bottled gas facing increasing prices and fewer choices, "as complaints about services doubled in the last year. And it's not just households."

In a cross-submission, Rewiring Aotearoa has responded to a range of concerns raised by other submitters in the Energy Competition Task Force's consulation.

How entrepreneurs like Becks Smith are stepping up to solve problems and install solar and storage on farms; new research into EVs and emissions shows it makes sense for New Zealand to keep electrifying transport (and, perhaps a bigger factor when it comes to purchasing decisions, going electric is also a clear win on the economics); electron-based news from Kia, Pebble, Kiwirail and Fulton Hogan; and can we pull off another 'Malthusian Swerve' as we rapidly use up the Earth's resources?

We support the role that government procurement can play in benefitting every community across the motu. We agree that simplifying and streamlining the procurement process is important, and reducing rules is a logical starting point. However, this should not undermine key considerations and past efforts in ensuring government spending supports long-term positive outcomes. Government procurement can support us to go for growth by increasing productivity of energy, which is a fundamental economic input

Whanganui residents are about to be hit by increased costs for everything from pool entry to pet cremation as a result of increasing gas prices, while high prices and a shortage means homeowners using gas elsewhere around the country are about to experience the cost increases associated with a 'death spiral'.

"Electric isn't just for cars, it's for farms too. That's the message from the team behind a cherry orchard in Central Otago, which started swapping diesel for electric on their 6 hectare site and went fully electric in 2021. Now they've put their electric tractor to a real test, going for a hot lap around Highland Motorsport Park in Cromwell." Electric Cherries' Mike Casey and Euan White cross live on Breakfast to discuss the record attempts, the Monarch tractor and the broader ambitions (head to 2.10 to hear the interview). Looking forward to having Liam Lawson take it for a spin soon.

Not content with the status quo when it comes to power and technology on farm, cherry farmer Mike Casey has created the world’s first fully electric farm. He tells Jayne Cuddihy about his mission to electrify millions of fossil-fuel machines on the official podcast channel for AgriFutures Australia.

Rewiring Aotearoa is organising an electric vehicle showcase at the Wheels at Wānaka event on April 19-20. We've already got a few gems lined up, like an electric Hilux, the Forest Lodge Monarch tractor, Nomad safaris' electric bus and Mainfreight's electric truck, and we're hoping to get an electric Hummer, a solar-powered scooter and one of the world's oldest electric cars from 1904.

An array of solar news this week as the country's biggest solar farm turns a sod, Lion and the Trusts Arena put their rooftops to work, some surprising front-runners in terms of solar panel imports from China, how solar and batteries are helping fast charging stations in the UK and Springs Junction deal with constraints on the grid, the Aptera solar-assisted car makes a successful road trip, and how technology changed telecommunications - and how it's about to change energy.

"Innovative. Visionary. Problem-solver. These words are often used to describe Monarch Tractor, but we feel the same can be said for Mike Casey, owner and operator of Forest Lodge Orchard, a six-hectare (14.8 acres), high-density cherry orchard in New Zealand." On its blog, the California company explains how the tractor was the last piece of the puzzle for Casey's mission to farm without fossil fuels.

Jamie Mackay talks to Mike Casey about cherry exports hitting a new milestone and surpassing 5000 tonnes, while Casey talks about how electricity is another crop farmers should be focusing on.

Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey joined a group of the country's most effective communicators for a Sustainable Business Network workshop recently. As the story says, "evidence shows that messaging evoking positive emotions is more effective than that focused on the negative." Casey regularly aims to inspire action through optimism and solution-focused storytelling and that's what he urged more businesses to do.

Rewiring Aotearoa has been blown away by the engagement of everyday New Zealanders in the recent consultation by the Energy Competition Task Force. It asked how consumers should be better rewarded for helping the energy system during peak periods and while we use the term consumer in our submission as it is what the regulators use, we couldn’t agree with one submission:‍ “What is required is not the empowering of consumers. It is the redefining of consumers as participants in the energy system.”

New Zealand farmers are well accustomed to turning sunlight into food and fibre. Now, as Mike Casey writes in The Australian Farmer, there’s an opportunity to turn that sunlight into something else that will benefit New Zealand and the rural sector: renewable electricity.

Overall, Rewiring Aotearoa welcomes the objectives of this package of proposals. from the Energy Competition Task Force. We view the package as a critical step in improving energy system outcomes for all consumers. We consider retailers paying consumers fairly as a critical step, and we are mostly satisfied with the Task Force’s approach to this (initiative 2C) and think it will create better outcomes for New Zealand consumers and the energy system as a whole. In contrast, the Task Force’s preferred option around how distributors are required to reward peak input from consumers (initiative 2A) will not in our view meet the Task Force’s (or the Electricity Authority’s) stated objectives.

Beauden Barrett's star power is put to use to get more New Zealanders into solar power; it's election season in Aus and it's a 'battle of the band aids' in comparison to incentivising more electric homes and cars; in Tairāwhiti, a major project is underway to install solar on 21 marae; how the story of New Zealand electricity pioneer Lloyd Mandeno illustrates what we can do if we get smart with our electricity use; and a global series on energy focuses on the taonga of Contact Energy's geothermal resources.

A Federated Farmers’ survey of 1,000 farmers showed that 70% of respondents would consider installing solar panels and the enthusiasm was evenly spread across different age groups, genders and farm types. The economic drivers are clear and farms can significantly reduce their electricity costs with solar (and, if they invest in electric machines, their diesel costs), but there are plenty of unnecessary barriers stopping them from saving money, reducing emissions and playing a role in the energy system. We’ve pulled together a document that talks about the massive opportunity rural electrification offers, outlines the issues farmers are facing and what the decision makers need to do to make it easier.

Rewiring Aotearoa is working to speed up the transition to an ‘electrified’ future, with work showing that upgrading fossil fuel machines to electric equivalents can save New Zealanders money on their energy bills, decrease emissions and give communities the resilience to keep their lights on and homes warm. ASB and Rewiring Aotearoa partnered up in 2023 and conducted research to identify barriers to households and farms going electric, undertook thorough literature review and considered potential finance solutions to address these barriers. This report covers some of the high-level themes uncovered during that process.

This consultation is a key input into unlocking some benefits that will speed up the adoption of solar and batteries, increase system sizes, and help create the lowest possible cost energy system for Aotearoa New Zealand. We believe that many of the proposals are positive steps and have recognised the technological and economic shifts that are happening in energy, but there is still some bias against investments made by homes and farms towards investments made by networks and energy companies. Whether you've got five minutes or a few hours, your submission can have a real impact on the final decisions and ensure the playing field is made level. Here's how to make your voice heard.

Inspired by successful electrification expos run in the Wairarapa, Queenstown and Australia, new community-led group Electrify the Hutt has committed to running its own expo later in 2025 to educate and inspire their community about the significant economic and environmental benefits of electric machines running on clean electricity. 

More exciting news about big batteries with free wheels (aka electric vehicles) from Australia; BYD's breakthrough sees EVs charging up in about the same time as it takes to fill a petrol car; boat charging comes to Queenstown; New Zealand's solar record (and the world's insatiable desire to run on the sun); and Bluecurrent and Meridian partner up to reward customers who hand over control of their hot water.

Community-led group Electrify Waiheke has set its sights on becoming the country’s first all-electric island by upgrading thousands of fossil fuel machines in homes, businesses, farms and public facilities to electric equivalents.

On Newstalk ZB, Energy Resources Aotearoa chief executive John Carnegie spoke with Mike Hosking about the need for coal and gas to provide enough electricity in what looks like another dry year. But there is another option.

RNZ's Eloise Gibson outlined how Clarus removed an ad that said 'renewable gas was now flowing' following complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority about misleading consumers. The issue was that the renewable gas was being blended with fossil gas and only made up a small fraction of the total. The bigger issue is that it's even more expensive than fossil gas (which is already more expensive than electric equivalents) and there's not enough of it to meet demand.

We're raising the roof on 'solar appreciation day' as Alpine Energy grows connections by 25% in a year and the country as a whole is close behind; a new paper in Nature shows that rooftop solar, long seen as a niche solution, could be the best way to reduce fossil fuel reliance; New Zealand is singled out as an early adopter of much more efficient industrial heat pumps; Toyota finally steps up its electric game with an upgrades to its existing BEV and two new models; and an optimistic take on the world's response to climate change.

At Forest Lodge Orchard, the world’s first fully electric cherry farm, Mike Casey swapped fossil fuels for electric machinery—cutting costs and boosting efficiency. In this session, he shares practical, game-changing strategies that make sustainability and profitability work together.

Transpower tries to give New Zealanders a lightbulb moment with its explainer campaign (and a documentary series goes back to the start); celebrity chef Tom Shepherd cooks up some big cost savings with a more efficient commercial kitchen; Mike Taylor from Pie Funds lays out an electric argument that would help fix our balance of trade; Vessev gets some competition in Auckland with the arrival of the Candela P-12 electric hydrofoiling ferry (which Meridian has ordered for Manapouri); and a review of Australia's fastest home EV charger and its bi-directional-enabled capability.

After surveying almost 100 New Zealanders about their solar and battery installs, Mysolarquotes recently released 'The Hidden Costs of Solar and Battery Systems in New Zealand: 2024 Insights' report. And it's good news for customers looking to go big.

One of Rewiring's key objectives for 2025 is to grow the number of community electrification groups. And Jay Salzke, who started as ecosystem lead late last year, has been travelling the country to help spark them up.

There’s been an understandable focus on the price of electricity recently, with fears we may be in for a repeat of the wholesale debacle of 2024 as our hydro lake levels remain low. The Energy Competition Taskforce made another announcement about levelling the playing field for independent retailers and removing preferential pricing for the gentailers’ retail arms. Just like the previous announcement that talked about moves to level the playing field for customers with solar and batteries, this is another positive step towards a fairer system, but it’s not guaranteed to bring electricity prices down, as Mike Casey told Andrew Dickens on Newstalk ZB.

As the focus remains on rising electricity costs in New Zealand, solar and storage continues to drop in price and is set to become the cheapest source of energy around the world in the next few years; an Auckland man's quest to create the world's first electric helicopter; the efficiency of electric flight and the pitfalls of predictions; an electric road in Sweden that could wirelessly charge EVs; solid state batteries take to the streets and look set to increase range; and why going electric was better than offsetting because it led to actual emissions reductions for WoolWorks and Sawmill.

Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey writes in Newsroom (paywall) that the low hydro lake levels are putting us at risk of another energy crunch in 2025, but more solar on our homes, farms and businesses would help bolster our energy security. As he says: "Solar is an energy source that is proven to perform better in dry years, ranks as the cheapest form of energy ever developed by humans and can help bring the cost of electricity down for everyone. When the leaves start dropping next year, I hope Min. Watts isn’t quite as concerned about lake levels or long-term forecasts because he can bask in the sunshine and know that he has helped more New Zealand homes, farms and businesses generate cheap electricity from the big nuclear fusion reactor in the sky. The future is bright."

Ahead of an SBN Masterclass event in March, Rewiring Aotearoa's Mike Casey offers his top tips about communicating sustainability effectively, adding to advice from John Berry, Gabrielle Pritchard, Albert Bifet and Laura Cibilich.

Following on from the coverage of all-electric Forest Lodge Orchard, Fully Charged's host Robert Llewellyn takes to the water and speaks with Vessev CEO Erik Laakman about the effiency gains and emissions reductions offered by the world's first commercial electric hydrofoiling boat.

It's a two-way street this week as energy minister makes positive noises about 'big batteries on wheels' playing a role in the energy system (and Zaptec smart chargers aim very high with a new campaign), Fed-Ex rolls out a few more electric delivery vans and wonders why everyone else isn't doing it, the story behind New Zealand's first electric coffee roastery in Queenstown, Christchurch Airport also claims a first with an electric firetruck, and Nat Bullard shows what's going on with the climate and where we're getting our energy from.

RNZ's Kathryn Ryan talked to Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey and Electricity Networks Aotearoa's Tracey Kai about the changes proposed by the Energy Competition Taskforce and how they will improve the already impressive return on investment for solar and batteries. As Casey said, the most important thing to remember is that the biggest benefits to households come from using solar as it is the cheapest form of delivered electricity available to New Zealand homes and those with electric machines and cars can save thousands each year on their energy bills. Exporting excess energy is generally a cherry on top and the proposed changes to reward peak export might only represent a small increase for households, but they may be significant for farmers or businesses with more space. More solar and batteries also helps to bring down the cost for everyone on the network, reduces the need for expensive pole and wire upgrades, which are paid for on customers' bills and can also help create more security of supply by keeping water in the dams.

A love letter to electrification this week as a kea soars high on solar, more electric buses for Auckland (and more Rivian vans for businesses), longer lasting EV batteries, more solar on smart schools, an open letter to the Australian Government asking for 'Real Zero' not net zero, and the world's first electric snowbike.

As Rewiring Aotearoa’s Electric Homes research has shown, New Zealand has already reached the electrification tipping point, so going electric and running your home and car with a combination of grid electricity and rooftop solar and batteries is already a good economic decision for most homes (and likely the best thing they can do to reduce emissions). But, as Newsroom's Marc Daalder writes about the Energy Competition Taskforce proposals (paywalled), "proposed changes to the electricity market could see Kiwis paid more for the solar power they export to the grid, and less when drawing from the grid at off-peak times".

"I firmly believe electricity is the next crop for farmers in New Zealand, and the more farmers that get involved in this, the better the returns for farmers are going to be ... My big dream is that farmers start powering New Zealand. That would be really cool." Seven Sharp ventured to Cromwell recently and Rachel Parkin put together a beautiful story about the all-electric Forest Lodge Orchard. The team has proven that it's possible to grow cherries without burning any diesel on the farm - 'not a single drop,' as manager Euan White says - and that farmers can play a role in the energy system by generating, using, storing and exporting their own electricity. At the moment, many homes, farms and businesses are reliant on expensive molecules sent to us from the other side of the world. Fossil fuels have taken us a long way, but there is a better and cheaper option: locally-produced electrons. That's good for businesses, and good for the country as a whole. Watch the show on TVNZ+ (skip to 4 mins).

Fully Charged, which has a large global reach and claims to be the world's number one home energy and electric vehicle channel, came to visit Mike Casey at the all-electric Forest Lodge recently. As host Robert Llewellyn (who Red Dwarf fans may recognise) says: "I think this is a shining example of what can be done today and what should be be done, particularly for countries like New Zealand that have to import their fossil fuels from a long, long way away".

RNZ's Susan Edmunds reports on the Energy Competition Taskforce proposals and says the changes "should lead to New Zealanders with solar power systems on their houses get more of a return for any power they put back into the system". As Electricity Authority chair Anna Kominik says: "New Zealand's electricity market currently relies on a few big generators to supply electricity at select locations and transmit it to households and businesses across the country. But as uptake of solar and battery systems continues to increase, more consumers will be able to contribute to our electricity system. And as smart electronics and vehicles become more ubiquitous, consumers will also be able to more actively manage their own energy use and costs. We're proposing three changes to help support this consumer empowerment and decentralisation of our energy system. Over time, this will increase community resilience and lower power costs for everyone," she said.

Homeowners with solar panels and batteries installed could be paid more to sell electricity back to the grid, reports TVNZ's Jessica Roden following the release of the Energy Competition Taskforce proposals. As Nelson solar installer Jon Pirie says in the piece, perfectly illustrating the 'neighbourhood effect', "year over year, people are more interested. They see the power bills going down and next thing the neighbours have got solar." Mike Casey also appears in the story saying anything we can do to incentivise customers to install their own generation and storage will help create the cheapest energy system.

Rewiring Aotearoa's response to the Energy Competition Taskforce: a pat on the back for recognising the shift and focusing on the role customers are playing - and will play - in the energy system, but just a light pat because more could be done to ensure the proposals are followed through on.

We're definitely not running on fumes this week ... Why our electric future - from e-bikes to e-boats - looks both fun and functional, why swapping fuel for finance is crucial for homeowners (and access to capital is crucial for businesses like Chargenet that are helping to speed up the transition), how renewable energy projects are helping developing countries and low-income communities, and an ad from 1929 that reminds us of something.