Our home, New Zealand, is one of the first countries to cross the Electrification Tipping Point
This means electrifying appliances and vehicles in both homes and businesses can save money and emissions from day one. It's a true win-win.
Households can save thousands, communities millions, and the nation can save billions each year
We've demonstrated that we can lower bills by thousands, lower most CO2 emissions, save millions for communities and billions for NZ by powering more of our machines by New Zealand made electricity rather than mostly imported fossil fuels. You can see our detailed research research papers Electric Homes, The Electrification Opportunity, and The Machine Count.
Figure 10 from Investing in Tomorrow Report, August 2024 by Rewiring Aotearoa, co-authored by Paul Conway, Chief Economist of The Reserve Bank of New Zealand.
Why Queenstown?
Queenstown is even further past the tipping point, the economics work even better. We have ambitious businesses and homes who understand the importance of the natural environment, and an urgent need for energy resilience due to risks like AF8. We are a nationally and globally recognisable destination that could be the world's lighthouse of energy innovation, showing we can build the future, deliver lower bills, lower emissions, and high resilience. Win-win.
We have an urgent need for energy resilience.
There is an >80% chance of a major earthquake along the alpine fault line in the next 50 years, and this could cut the region off from both power and fuel delivery (road access). By generating far more electriicty locally through rooftop solar and batteries, which can also save us money, we can better prepare to keep the lights on and our homes warm.
We can lower bills for households and businesses alike, saving thousands.
You can see our detailed research here, here, and here.
Figure 8 from Investing in Tomorrow Report, August 2024 by Rewiring Aotearoa, co-authored by Paul Conway, Chief Economist of The Reserve Bank of New Zealand. Based on work undertaken by Rewiring Aotearoa and EECA.
We can be a lighthouse demonstration that inspires New Zealand and the world
The world needs ambitious leadership that builds a better future for our communities and our climate. Queenstown, being accross the tipping point and with ambitious homes and businesses alike, could lead the world by being the most electrified destination on earth. Showing our energy future can bring with it vast benefits accross the community.
This is why we launched the Queenstown Electrification Accelerator.
With support from numourous community and national organisations, we launched this community-led electrification pilot project with the goal of building the 2050 energy system by 2030. Creating an energy blueprint and lighthouse project for how communities nationwide and worldwide can achieve lower bills, lower emissions, and higher resilience through rapid and fair electrification.
This may sound ambitious. But kiwis have been doing this for over 100 years, and it all started in Queenstown in 1886.
The Bullendale hydro generator was the first hydro power plant in New Zealand, and even included building (by horse!) the first electricity transmission line in the southern hemisphere. We should be at least as ambitious as they were. You can still hike there today.
This was followed by many more electric firsts throughout New Zealand.
The first electric gold dredge, also in Queenstown (1888), the world's second public electric street lights (Reefton, 1889, one week behind Paris!), the first electric house in the world with the world's first household electric water heater, the world's first wet steam geothermal plant, and of course the electric fence.
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It's time to be at least as ambitious as they were.
Queenstown has a generational opportunity to lead the world on energy, lead the world on climate, and create the postcard destination of a positive energy future.
