The 'Electric Election': energy policies, side by side
Casey's work demonstrating how electric technology that is available today can lead to more profitable businesses and his electrification advocacy work as CEO of Rewiring Aotearoa has earned him another title, this time the Otago Daily Times business leader of the year.
In the midst of the cherry harvest, Mike Casey has received another cherry on top.
As business editor Sally Rae wrote:
He was happy to open the gates to the orchard, saying for a long time, the primary sector in particular had been seen as climate negative, rather than positive.
But here was a primary sector entity which was leading the charge on electrification which ultimately drives down fossil fuels and lowers farm input costs — ‘‘that gets people curious’’.
Mr Casey was never a preacher — ‘‘you must never tell people what they should be doing’’ — rather, it was about showing people what he was doing and they were welcome to ‘‘take from this whatever you want’’ — ask as many questions and take as many photographs. Being more co-operative rather than competitive was when change was ultimately shifted.
... Being an entrepreneur, it was all about problems to solve and right now there was no bigger problem to solve than the climate problem. He was buoyed by the reception to Rewiring Aotearoa’s message, particularly that it was reaching a lot of different types of Kiwis.
Often climate action was not pro-business but he was a businessman so it was about pairing good smart business with climate action, and his goal was for New Zealand to be seen as a ‘‘beacon of light’’ on how to do that.
'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
