Dr Saul Griffith Photo: Clayton Boyd
New Zealand households could save as much as $95 billion dollars by 2040 if the country fully electrifies the economy, according to an international renewable energy advocate.
Dr Saul Griffith founded Rewiring America, and Rewiring Australia - and is in New Zealand presenting a report pushing the case that electrification is ultimately cheaper than using fossil fuels.
Dr Griffith and his co-authors, including the Reserve Bank chief economist Paul Conway, say there should be a systemic approach to adopting solutions like widespread rooftop solar uptake.
Tax incentives and Government finance would be tools to be used, but also addressing workforce change, and consenting.
Dr Griffiths' 'Investing in Tomorrow' report says New Zealanders are spending about $20 billion a year on imported fossil fuels but could save over four times that by swapping out fossil fuel burning cars and appliances - for electric equivalents.
His proposal comes at a time when the government is moving to accelerate the importation of liquified natural gas, to deal with an energy supply shortfall.
Dr Saul Griffiths, an engineer, is chief scientist at Rewiring Aotearoa.
