The 'Electric Election': energy policies, side by side
In a cross-submission, Rewiring Aotearoa has responded to a range of concerns raised by other submitters in the Energy Competition Task Force's consulation.
Please find below our cross-submission on some key common themes from submitters on Consultation paper - Requiring distributors to pay a rebate when consumers export electricity at peak times. These are the points where we feel particularly compelled to comment. We have included some specific quotes from submissions, but certainly not all relevant quotes.
As an overarching comment, some submissions included significant statements as if they were fact with no backing evidence. Several even noted they are aware of evidence of certain things, yet don’t provide this evidence or point to where it can be found. We recommend that the Task Force track down such evidence and confirm you are confident in this before taking any decisions based on it.
The submission focusses on the following:
1. It is good to see consumers getting their voices heard
2. Concerns of wealth transfers
3. Obsession with aggregators and control
4. Claims that batteries can’t reduce any network costs
5. Location based value and low visibility of LV network
6. Failing to undertake good consumption tariff design as excuse
8. Concerns consumers with batteries will themselves be disadvantaged by SETs
9. Correcting a few incorrect assumptions
We always like to celebrate a lift in EV sales at Rewiring, but we’re not celebrating too hard, because new Zealand is lagging behind most other markets when it comes to adoption rates. While sales are up by around 170% on the same time last year, just 10% of new cars sold were electric in October, down slightly from previous months (at a regional level, Nelson took the prize for highest share with 25%, followed by Wellington and Tasman).
Read moreDownload'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.
