Te Whakahiko i ngā Marae | the Electric Marae report
As we have seen clearly this year, New Zealand's reliance on volatile, imported energy is one of our major vulnerabilities. High fuel prices are damaging enough to the economy - and they have the biggest impact on those who are least able to handle the sharp rises - but what if the boats don't turn up?
All our liquid fuel comes on ships, so if the flow stops, the economy would basically grind to a halt. But electrification reduces that reliance and that's why we've developed a plan for the Government to get its own house in order and keep hospitals, freight, food and other critical services running through fuel shocks.
The countries that took action during previous energy crises are now better insulated against fuel volatility, but even if the shocks don't eventuate, these investments still make sense because they save us money in the long-run.
2026 has provided a rare moment of clarity. It's time to start powering ourselves from within. And the Government should be leading the charge.
See the plan here.
Rewiring Aotearoa's Matt Newman: "For marae, however, there aren't a huge amount of places where they could turn to unless they're engaging professional services around electrification. We know that that hasn't often been in the funding piece either. You know, funders will happily fund upgrades for marae, but they won't fund the due diligence that's necessary to support marae in making really good decisions for the long-term future."
Read moreDownloadRewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey told Andrew Dickens plug-in solar is a simple process, which many countries including the US, UK, and places across Europe have made the most of. Labour's policy is similar but says changes to enable plug-in solar would be within 12 months of a government it leads taking office.
A shocking increase in the power bill for a marae that converted to solar energy has raised concerns about installers and regulation. The monthly power bill for Taranaki's Owae Marae has rocked to as much as $2000 a month, up from about $400. That's despite installing a solar system on its wharekai to save money. Matt Newman from Rewiring Aotearoa spoke to Lisa Owen about this issue and our new Electric Marae report.
