The 'Electric Election': energy policies, side by side
FarmGen and AgFirst are collaborating on rural solar and Graeme Davison's 75kW, $85,000 solar system is a good example of the savings on offer. He installed the system in August "after his electricity costs jumped 23%, from $34,000 three years ago to $46,000" and uses it to power his milking shed. "Most farms of this size save between $17,000 and $25,000 a year for an $85,000 investment," he says, so the payback is pretty quick.
There's plenty of demand for solar on farms already and that has likely increased after those with solar and batteries were able to keep running even though the grid went down after the recent storms. And with Fonterra farmers eyeing a big payout after the sale of the consumer brands, investing in some resilience that can pay itself off every day is looking like a pretty good bet.
'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.
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