The 'Electric Election': energy policies, side by side
What Mike Casey argued for so coherently and passionately this morning on Q+A with Jack Tame isn't pie in the sky stuff. The electrification opportunity is there to be grasped.
Electrification stacks up economically for homes, most businesses and the country as a whole and, as we keep saying, solar, EVs, batteries, heat pumps and renewables are not woke, they just work. We just need to get past the culture war crap and help more New Zealanders deal with the cost of living crisis.
More electric machines running on New Zealand-made energy will also reduce our reliance on imported fuel and make our existing stocks go further for the machines that need it.
And, massive added bonus in case anyone has forgotten what's happening with the weather, there's no contest when it comes to emissions.
Right now, we're dealing with a crisis and we hope it doesn't come down to rationing. But we also need to learn from this and plan for the next one. We need to keep thinking big and building more cheap solar, wind and geothermal. But we also need to think small and electrify as many of our ten million fossil fuel machines as possible.
That's the bit that often gets overlooked but, as Casey said, a lot of a little is a lot. So, to all those politicians thinking about how to get the votes in the 'electric election', let's make New Zealand-made energy our North Star, let's run more electric machines on that energy and let's and do everything we can to create the world's most electric economy.
'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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