
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.
The Government’s changes to the Clean Car Standard are a gift to the fossil fuel industry that will lock New Zealanders into buying expensive foreign fuels for years to come. But they don’t change the fact that, on average, electric vehicles are cheaper over their lifetime.
Read moreDownloadRNZ investigative journalist Kirsty Johnston digs into the liquified natural gas terminal decision and finds that "for a government facing blackouts and business closures in an election year, importing gas is an attractive choice. For others [including Rewiring Aotearoa, whose CEO Mike Casey was quoted in the piece] it's the worst possible option."
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