Source: Federated Farmers
The National Party’s Electrify NZ 2.0 policy has been given the tick of approval from Federated Farmers, which says energy is a major concern for farmers this election.
“Farmers depend on affordable and reliable energy to run our businesses, so there’s a lot to like in this policy,” says Federated Farmers energy spokesperson Greg Anderson.
“It takes a huge amount of energy to power milking sheds, dry milk, harvest vegetables and fuel vehicles – and every year it gets more expensive.
“New Zealand’s entire energy system is interconnected, so when we have more renewable electricity available it takes pressure off diesel and natural gas.
“This policy is a big win for Kiwi families and businesses who are concerned about affordability, but there are also huge reliability, sustainability and resilience benefits.”
Anderson says farmers are increasingly looking to incorporate small- and medium-scale solar into their farming businesses, but red tape and regulation can make it challenging.
Federated Farmers’ 2026 election priorities include a focus on solar, asking the next Government to simplify the rules and enable multiple trading relationships.
“As farmers, we want to play our part in renewable energy generation, but the Government needs to make it simpler, cheaper, fairer and faster,” Anderson says.
“This policy goes a long way in helping achieve that: making connections faster and cheaper, letting Kiwis sell power to the best buyer, and tackling lines charges.”
Federated Farmers is particularly pleased to see a commitment to cut red tape and let farmers sell to any power company, not just the one they buy from.
“Farmers want to do the right thing and invest in renewables like solar but the economics need to work, and the dollars need to add up,” Anderson says.
“When a farmer buys power from the grid, it’s at the market price, but when we sell our solar energy back, we get paid peanuts – even though we’ve invested in the generation.
“Because you can only sell power back to the company you buy from, there’s no competition or leverage. Farmers don’t get paid a fair price for their energy.
“Allowing farmers to sell their power to the highest bidder will make installing solar so much more financially viable and shorten the payback period on the investment.”
With the right policy settings, there’s huge potential for Kiwi farmers to become New Zealand’s largest producers of renewable energy, Anderson says.
“Electrify NZ 2.0 is a significant step forward that could help turn that bold ambition into reality for rural communities.”