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Over 100 people turned up to a meeting in Taranaki this week to voice their opposition to the proposed LNG import terminal. And whether it was cost, emissions or safety, there were a range of concerns raised, as RNZ reported. As we have said from the start - and as a big research project that's set to be released soon confirms - there are cheaper, better ways to solve the dry year issue and LNG is too expensive to be seen as a solution to our diminishing domestic gas reserves.
Our analysis shows that diesel is a better bridging option than LNG as we continue to build renewables and this would also help bolster our fuel resilience.
Mike Casey sent a video message to the meeting and, as he said, rather than investing in vinyl, we should be investing in a Spotify subscription.
We currently have to burn stuff when the lakes get low, but we should be trying to keep the lakes high by using more renewables. Solar is the thing that excites Casey the most and it's particularly important in a dry year as there is more production, but there are some barriers in the way.
Community Energy Taranaki has been doing some great work advocating strongly with council for long-term, low-interest loans for electric upgrades. And now we need the Government to play ball.
The expensive fuel prices triggered by the choking of the Hormuz Strait were not stopping an undercurrent of change, Rewiring Aotearoa chief executive Mike Casey said. "We're talking about kitchen table or dinner table decisions rather than board- room table decisions." Casey, who runs a fully electric cherry farm in Central Otago, said New Zealand could benefit from introducing a “salary sacrifice" scheme similar to one available in Australia for people wanting to buy new electric cars. “We can get brand new basic electric cars onto the road ... for under $200 a week, at least for people in New Zealand, for our essential workers, for our teachers, for our nurses, and that includes registration, insurance, maintenance, energy and the car itself."
Read moreDownloadKeeping up with the Joneses (in a good way) as Australia shifts towards sun and wind and away from fuels; New Zealand gets a good grade in terms of how electric our economy is, but we're well behind the leaders; batteries are booming (also in a good way) and eating into gas; how to get that 'wok hei' flavour with induction; a big electric barbie event gets set to break a Guinness World Record; Joby Aviation's historic electric test flights in New York; and what's old is new again with electric classic cars and even an electric museum.
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