Electrification proponent Rewiring Australia has endorsed NSW Treasurer Matt Kean’s announcement of $8 million to support world-first pilots of community electrification.
“Original research published by Dr Saul Griffith and Rewiring Australia has demonstrated that electrification with commercially-available technologies is the fastest, cheapest way to combat inflation and decarbonise the economy,” the campaign said in a statement.
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“Suburb or town-based pilots provide the proof of concept for this new climate strategy. Pilots would work with local communities and support households to upgrade to efficient zero emission electric appliances and vehicles. This would include community solar, batteries and local EV charging infrastructure, with possible co-funding from the private sector and the federal government and its energy innovation agencies.
“Around the middle of this decade it will be cost effective for households to entirely replace conventional appliances with EV, solar and efficient consumer devices. This means that over the next three years a community could fully implement these emission reduction technologies with relatively modest government co-funding. A pilot would help Australian industry better understand and make the most of this global technological transition and prepare the electricity network for future electricity needs The energy savings produced by the technologies would be used to fund the majority of their capital cost.”
Rewiring Australia co-founder and chief scientist Dr Saul Griffith said the announcement was a strong step forward.
“Electrification of our homes, cars and workplaces is the fastest, most effective path to stop the planet heating. The world already has the technology to remove fossil fuels from households. Funding support such as the one Matt Kean has made makes me optimistic about the future,” Griffith said.
“The Australian people have the highest uptake of rooftop solar in the world, and they know that a small push from the government will allow them to go further by installing the batteries, electric cooktops, heaters and water systems that free them of fossil fuel emissions and bills.
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“Committing to this trial allows governments to foster the technology breakthroughs we know the world will need to dramatically reduce emissions by 2030.”
Rewiring Australia executive director and co-founder Dan Cass said, “Federal Labor energy minister Chris Bowen has promised ‘meaningful and substantial’ electrification measures in the next budget, so we hope he takes inspiration from [this] announcement by NSW and includes funding for pilots.”
