Our Mission

To make New Zealand more electric / Whakahiko te ao.

By combining research, communication and demonstration, Rewiring Aotearoa’s work accelerates the country’s equitable transition to a low cost electrified economy.

Our People

Rewiring Aotearoa is a group of New Zealand leaders who work within the climate, energy, policy, data and storytelling space. We believe the cross section of these skills will help us rapidly electrify Aotearoa New Zealand.

Our Team

Mike Casey
CEO
Mike is a successful entrepreneur. Since selling his startup in 2019 he has built New Zealand's first zero fossil fuel electric cherry farm. Mike's passion for showing people how we can farm without emissions and save money on operating costs has inspired many, and he aims to continue that progress by leading Rewiring Aotearoa's mission to create a fair and fruitful pathway for all kiwi's to zero emissions.
Michelle Pawson
Policy Advisor
Michelle leads policy work including, climate change, environment, strategy, and anticipatory governance. She has contributed to numerous projects and legislative reforms, including Principal Policy Advisor, Productivity Commission, Principal Advisor Office of the Chief Executive, Ministry for the Environment, and to contributed to NZ’s Climate Change Adaptation Technical Working Group. Michelle’s climate change interest is centred around socio-ecological resilience and rethinking the public purpose of our legislative systems to co-create a more inclusive and equitable future.
Josh Ellison
Research & Development
Josh leads research, design and development work at Rewiring Aotearoa and Rewiring Australia. He has multi-disciplinary experience and has co-authored Rewiring Australia’s research papers and models since its establishment. With New Zealand roots he now lives in Queenstown and is the bridge between Rewiring Australia and Rewiring Aotearoa.
Mike Rewi
Community Engagement
Mike (Kai Tahu / Kāti Māmoe / Ngāti Kahungungu) is the CEO of Mana Tāhuna Charitable Trust, a kaupapa Māori organisation committed to positive social, cultural and environmental development for our community. He leads community engagement strategy with a focus on delivering lower cost of living and more energy resilience to communities in need.
Dr. David Hall
Policy Advisor
Dr. David Hall has a DPhil in Politics from the University of Oxford and currently is Climate Policy Director at Toha and Adjunct Lecturer at AUT University's School of Social Sciences & Public Policy. He is also Principal Investigator for AUT’s Living Laboratories Programme, member of the Forestry Ministerial Advisory Group, Director of the Environmental Defence Society, and Honorary Fellow of the Hanken Centre for Accounting, Finance and Governance.
Dominic Thorn
Climate Scientist
Dom is a climate scientist who has worked across academia, government and consulting. He has a Master of Climate Science from the University of Melbourne and began his career at the Ministry for the Environment before working as a consultant with PwC. Dom has represented New Zealand on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and has helped a number of organisations understand their climate risks and how to build resilience to climate change.
Ben Fahy
Strategic Communications
Ben Fahy has over 20 years experience as a journalist, editor and publisher and has a particular interest in business and technology - and how they intersect with environmental issues. He is now based in Wānaka and focuses on strategic communications and freelance writing.He was previously editorial director of the current affairs portfolio at Bauer Media, which included New Zealand Listener, North & South, Metro, OurAuckland and Noted.co.nz. Prior to that he was publisher/editorial director of the Tangible Media Business Network, which focused on the start-up, marketing/media/advertising and retail sectors.

Our Advisors

Dr. Saul Griffith
Chief Scientist
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Dr. Steve Batstone
NZ Energy System Expert
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About Rewiring Aotearoa

Rewiring Aotearoa is an independent non-partisan non-profit. It is a registered charity working on energy, climate, and electrification research, advocacy, and supporting communities through the energy transition. The team consists of New Zealand energy, policy, and community outreach experts who have demonstrated experience both locally and internationally.

We're in it for you. We’re always fighting for the New Zealanders who use the energy system. Our work gives households and businesses the information and inspiration they need to make decisions that will reduce their costs and their carbon emissions.

Our Purpose

By combining research, communication and demonstration, Rewiring Aotearoa will accelerate climate action and transform the energy system to benefit all New Zealanders.

Our Team

Rewiring Aotearoa is a group of New Zealand leaders who work within the climate, energy, policy, data and storytelling space. We believe the cross section of these skills will help us rapidly electrify Aotearoa New Zealand.

Our Funding

Rewiring Aotearoa’s New Zealand-based team is primarily funded by a group of New Zealand-based philanthropists, with a small chunk of funding generated through projects and donations from supporters.

How we are Funded

Rewiring Aotearoa’s New Zealand-based team is primarily funded by a group of New Zealand-based philanthropists, with a small chunk of funding generated through commercial projects and donations from supporters.

Initial funding for an energy hardship project came from Queenstown Lakes District Council, while Oliver Bruce and Australian scientist Dr Saul Griffith (and author of the book “Electrify”) provided seed funding to help get Rewiring Aotearoa off the ground.

Mike Casey came on board as CEO and has helped to secure a significant amount of funding from a range of New Zealand-based philanthropists and trusts including Sir Stephen Tindall, Whakatupu Aotearoa Foundation, Michael Sidey, Urs Hölzle and the Biome Trust.

Rewiring Aotearoa exists to enable community electrification, help New Zealanders save money on energy bills, and independently fight for communities to be treated fairly in the energy system.

We are a non-profit, and our work depends on donations big and small.

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Support us

Your donations help our team keep the momentum of rapidly electrifying Aotearoa New Zealand within our key focus areas of community, government and industry.

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