Last month POW NZ Board Member, Nicole McRae, attended Day 2 of Electrify Queenstown 2026 (the business, investment and policy day).
Electrify Queenstown is an annual three-day event that brings together community, business, government, and industry to accelerate the transition to a low-emissions, electrified future.
Over a thousand people attended the event across the three days, which featured a range of keynote talks, panels, exhibitions, immersive experiences and more. All with the aim to showcase how electrification can reduce costs, strengthen energy resilience, support decarbonisation, and unlock new economic opportunities for businesses and communities alike.
One of the major event highlights was the National Political Debate on the Future of New Zealand’s Energy System, which saw leaders from across the spectrum debate the real changes they believe New Zealand should make to build a more resilient, affordable, and secure energy system (link to full video below).
This discussion included: Hon. David Seymour (Deputy Prime Minister and Act Party Leader), Rt Hon. Chris Hipkins (Labour Party Leader), Hon Simeon Brown (Energy Minister, National Party), Hon Shane Jones (New Zealand First Co-Leader), Chlöe Swarbrick (Green Party Co-Leader), Qiulae Wong (Opportunity Party Leader) and Dr Megan Woods (Labour’s spokesperson for Energy and Resources).
Nicole has taken the time to write down her key takeaways from the day, and why it’s important for our POW community. Read on from Nicole below:
“The thing that struck me most wasn’t the data (though the data was sobering), it was the people. Engineers, investors, politicians, and community advocates, all in the same room, pulling (mostly) in the same direction. With one clear call to action: we need to electrify, and we need to do it now.
The numbers are stark. Queenstown needs to double its infrastructure in the next 15 years, and has a projection of 40–52% population growth by 2043. The region has a 1:1 ratio of cars to residents, and 72% of households own more than two vehicles. However, only 2% of cars are electric. Electrifying our transport system starts to feel less like an aspiration and more like an urgent necessity.
What gave me genuine hope was hearing from people actively working to achieve electrification. Rewiring Aotearoa’s Mike Casey pointed out that there are a million machines in NZ ready to electrify right now. Christina Hood from the New Zealand Climate Foundation challenged the room to stop thinking about energy as something that happens to us, and start designing it around what consumers actually need. And what really stuck with me was Jo Hendy’s framing around resilience, moving from just-in-time to just-in-case. Rather than being the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, our energy systems need to be built to help us thrive in periods of global uncertainty, removing our reliance on imported energy.
The event also featured a political debate on the future of New Zealand’s energy system, and while it was encouraging to see politicians engaging with the issue, it was striking that half the parties on stage weren’t willing to commit to a clear energy strategy. With a general election coming this October, that gap matters. Our mountains and our winters don’t wait for political consensus. If you want to see real action on the issues that affect our playgrounds, this is the moment to make your voice count. Get informed, vote for protecting our winters, and push your local candidates for answers.
What Electrify made clear to me was that how the Queenstown Lakes region prepares for the future will directly affect the POW community. The right people were in that room. Now we need the right decisions to follow, and you can have an impact too.
Our call to action is this: speak up, vote, and where you can, electrify your home and your transport. Every action adds up.“
You can watch the full Political Debate below and learn exactly where each of the parties stands on the future of NZ’s energy system.
Being informed is key to knowing how to vote for the climate this election year.
