Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey says the Operation Laser Kiwi crowdfunding campaign is all about delivering a serious message in the least serious way possible. 

“New Zealand-made energy running through more efficient electric machines wins on economics, energy security and emissions and we want everyone to know it. Our first target is to reach $25,000 through a combination of donations, charity auctions and merchandise sales and, if we get there, I will dress up in a Laser Kiwi costume, drive an EV to Wellington to deliver our manifesto before the ‘electric election’, and book some billboards outside the Beehive.” 

The more money raised, the bigger the campaign gets. 

“If we get to $50,000, the New Zealand-made energy billboards will go national. If we get to $100,000, we’ll put some New Zealand-made energy ads on TV, and if we reach our big goal of $250,000, we will actually build a Trojan Laser Kiwi, tow it to Wellington and deliver a box of my electric cherries to all our new MPs. Every threshold we reach also means more solar panels for low-income homes.” 

Casey is asking people to give whatever they can and he’s also asking high-profile Rewiring supporters and businesses in the sector to donate something of value that can be auctioned.  

“Electric Kiwi has already donated 10,000 kWh of electricity, Whoosh is offering a ride in one of its electric pods, I’m selling myself and my red Swanndri jacket, and you can even be one of the first in the country to own a solar-powered Lightfoot scooter. Like any good charity auction, we want people to make overly generous bids. 

“We need some more auctions to reach our stretch goal, so whether it's an electric boat party, a power lunch, some vouchers from your business, a solar and battery install, or some more free electricity, it will all help to push the fundraising thermometer up. Get in touch if you have something to add to the pot.” 

Another way to get behind the campaign is to buy some New Zealand-made energy merchandise. 

“Caps, t-shirts, hoodies and even a ‘Commercial Electric Vehicles of New Zealand’ poster are all up for grabs and every purchase gets us closer to our goal. I’ll be ordering a 5XL t-shirt and putting it over the top of my Laser Kiwi costume for the drive to Wellington, that’s for sure. And I promise not to look at any planes or oncoming traffic and blind them with my laser eyes.”

If people want to support the campaign without dipping into the bank account, Casey says they can fire up the New Zealand-made energy lasers on the Rewiring website instead.

“Upload a photo - could be your stuffed kiwi, could be you, could be your ute - add some lasers and tell us why you back New Zealand-made energy. We'll pick some of the best entries every week and send them some free merch. The best entry will win $1,000 of free electricity.”

Casey admits $250,000 is a big number, “but we’re an ambitious lot and we need more ambition in the energy sector”. He is also well aware that building a massive Laser Kiwi is a bit mad.

“But you know what’s even crazier? New Zealand homes and businesses spend around $40 million a day at the pump on fuel - and that’s at pre-war prices. We import over half our total energy and it’s expensive, volatile and inefficient. We’ve seen that up close this year due to the war in the Middle East and it’s clear that our reliance on imported energy is dragging our economy down.” 

Casey has experienced the productivity benefits of running on local electrons rather than foreign molecules first-hand on his all-electric orchard and Rewiring’s research has shown that upgrading from fossil fuel machines to electric machines can benefit homes, businesses, communities and the country. 

“Over the past few years, we’ve been shouting from the rooftops about electrification - and people are listening: the major political parties are behind our proposed Ratepayer Assistance Scheme, which would offer long-term, low-interest loans for electric upgrades; we’ve seen a big increase in the adoption rates of solar, batteries, EVs and other machines; and we’ve helped to set up almost 40 community electrification groups around the country to spread the message even further. We’ve embraced a top-down, bottom-up strategy and it’s worked well. But we need to go faster and bring more New Zealanders into the electric tent. We reckon building a giant Laser Kiwi is a good way to do that, and we’re confident New Zealanders will support the campaign and bring it to life.” 

ENDS

Visit the campaign page here. 

Download images of Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey, here.

For more information or to arrange an interview with Mike Casey, contact Ben Fahy at ben@rewiring.nz or 021 245 4894.

Rewiring Aotearoa is an independent charity working on energy, climate and electrification research, advocacy and education. The New Zealand-based team consists of energy, policy, communications and community outreach experts and it is funded by New Zealand-based philanthropists. While we are selling the achievable dream of a more secure, resilient, productive, affordable and renewable energy system, we do not financially benefit from sales of solar, EVs or any of the electric technologies we advocate for.

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