The 'Electric Election': energy policies, side by side
The Government has released a document outlining how it plans to meet our emissions targets. However, as stated by many climate scientists and media outlets, the combination of policies proposed in the ERP2 document will not keep New Zealand on track for Net Zero 2050, nor will they enable us to meet our third emissions budget. We want as many New Zealanders as possible to make a submission on the plan and share their main areas of concern and where they see the biggest missed opportunities. This guide will run you through the submisson process, outline our main arguments and even give you an email template to tailor.
The Government has released a document outlining how it plans to meet our emissions targets. However, as stated by many climate scientists and media outlets, the combination of policies proposed in the ERP2 document will not keep New Zealand on track for Net Zero 2050, nor will they enable us to meet our third emissions budget. We want as many New Zealanders as possible to make a submission on the plan and share their main areas of concern and biggest missed opportunities.
Personal stories are always most powerful, so make your own thoughts on the plan heard, but Rewiring Aotearoa has also been asked for guidance on how to submit and what those submissions could focus on. This guide will run you through the process, outline our main arguments and even give you an email template to tailor.
Rewiring Aotearoa’s main concerns are that the second emissions reduction plan is based on empirically unfounded assumptions, lacks transparency and largely ignores the role New Zealand households and businesses could play. The approach underpinning the proposed ERP2 reflects a strategy plagued by 'carbon tunnel vision,' where the single-minded pursuit of emission reductions—currently prioritised through offsetting—ignores the broader context. Effective and enduring climate action cannot be reduced to the least costly or easiest option.
Beyond reducing emissions, electrification has the potential to significantly enhance lives by improving health, well-being, and providing cheaper, cleaner, and more efficient energy. This broader perspective is essential—electrification should be seen as a comprehensive enhancement of livelihoods, not just a narrow means to cut carbon.
To date, plans for decarbonisation have primarily focused on large-scale, grid-connected renewable energy projects, like NZ Battery (Lake Onslow) and Electrify NZ, while largely overlooking smaller-scale, decentralised solutions (i.e. household electrification). These 'dinner table decisions' make up a large chunk of our domestic emissions and these emissions can be removed right now with technology that exists today and is cheaper over the long run.
This narrow focus has resulted in a fragmented system of incentives, where attention has been diverted and critical issues overlooked (e.g., the decline of gas infrastructure and gas shortages and lakes suffering from dry years exacerbated by climate change).
In contrast, empowering small-scale investments by households, farms and small businesses in technologies like solar and battery storage and electrifying the millions of small fossil fuel machines in our economy could provide a more stable, resilient and cost-effective pathway. Despite this, existing energy and industry pathways and scenarios have largely dismissed the potential benefits of decentralised solutions, assuming they will only serve as supplementary options rather than primary solutions.
However, Rewiring Aotearoa has empirically demonstrated that within 2-3 years, solar and battery systems offering a "firm and flexible" supply will be more cost-effective than relying on large corporate entities, which have vested interests in maintaining large-scale supply solutions that are susceptible to the risks mentioned above.
Focusing on the opportunity of demand side electrification and electrifying the millions of fossil fuel machines that underpin our economy is one of the only achievable ways of reaching our emissions reduction targets.
Electrification is a win-win. And we need this Government to recognise that in its ERP2 document.
'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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