An online portal launched by Rewiring Australia reveals outer metropolitan electorates have the most to gain from a switch to renewable powered electrification of our homes and vehicles.
Electrify my electorate is a new online tool allowing voters, candidates and researchers to gauge:
- How much individual households in their community would benefit from going electric;
- The aggregate economic benefit from weaning their community off foreign oil and gas;
- How many jobs would be generated by rewiring homes for a solar powered, electrified future.
Electrification is the process of fitting every home with solar panels and a battery and then swapping out fossil fuel devices like gas cooktops, gas hot water, gas heating and combustion engine vehicles with electrified versions such as induction stoves, electric space heating and electric vehicles.
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Modelling by Rewiring Australia last year found mass electrification of Australian homes and vehicles would reduce domestic carbon emissions by more than one-third and could be achieved through an eight year, $12 billion investment that would lead to overall national savings of more than $40 billion.
Electrify my electorate finds the following seats stand to gain the most from electrification:
State | Location | Occupied private dwellings (estimate 2022) | Cars per home | 2030 electrification savings per home | Total savings from electrification (2030) per year | Installation money into community (per year, 2030) | Total money in community (savings plus install spending) | Total jobs (direct and indirect) created from savings and installation spending |
VIC | McEwen | 56,621 | 2.1 | $5,570 | $315,000,000 | $18,300,000 | $334,000,000 | 1,930 |
VIC | Casey | 61,467 | 2.1 | $5,460 | $336,000,000 | $20,600,000 | $356,000,000 | 2,060 |
QLD | Wright | 61,857 | 2.1 | $5,460 | $338,000,000 | $16,300,000 | $354,000,000 | 2,050 |
ACT | Bean | 70,199 | 1.9 | $5,340 | $375,000,000 | $22,600,000 | $398,000,000 | 2,300 |
VIC | Holt | 60,134 | 2.0 | $5,340 | $321,000,000 | $19,100,000 | $341,000,000 | 1,970 |
VIC | La Trobe | 58,182 | 2.0 | $5,340 | $311,000,000 | $19,300,000 | $330,000,000 | 1,910 |
NSW | Hume | 56,513 | 2.1 | $5,260 | $297,000,000 | $17,400,000 | $314,000,000 | 1,820 |
VIC | Aston | 63,039 | 2.0 | $5,220 | $329,000,000 | $20,300,000 | $350,000,000 | 2,020 |
VIC | Menzies | 59,938 | 1.9 | $5,200 | $311,000,000 | $19,700,000 | $331,000,000 | 1,910 |
QLD | Dickson | 56,897 | 2.0 | $5,180 | $295,000,000 | $14,800,000 | $310,000,000 | 1,790 |
Rewiring Australia chief scientist and founder Dr Saul Griffith said electrification could be an economic bonanza for Australian families.
“The shift to clean, cheap energy is an extraordinary economic opportunity for Australian families,” Dr Griffith said.
“It just requires the same sort of commitment and investment that drove the Australian rooftop solar miracle, now enjoyed by more than three million Australian households.
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“If we fully exploit our natural advantage with solar energy by electrifying everything we will create thousands of jobs for tradies and ensure more money is spent in local shops. The air will be cleaner and people will be healthier.
“Hundreds of millions of dollars are being drained from local economies right now, because we are dependent on imported oil. If we electrify and decarbonise we keep that money in the local community and make the world cleaner and safer.
“Electrifying our homes and vehicles is the fastest and cheapest path to decarbonising our domestic economy. Over a 10-year period we could electrify the nation for roughly the same amount we currently spend subsidising fossil fuels in a single year.
“Electrification attacks the three huge national problems—climate heating, cost of living and national security. We invite all candidates to embrace the initiative.”