Sally Hunter speech for the Launch
I would like to firstly acknowledge that this EV charger is on Gomeroi country and I pay my respects to past, present and future generations of this nation.
Geni.Energy is a locally based not for profit with a mission of creating more renewable energy in northwest NSW. Over the last two years, this is the fourth electric vehicle event that we have organised or been a part of and every event we have we see a doubling of the number of local electric vehicle owners who come along. So this change is happening now and it is happening in our region.
Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly accessible to a wide range of people through some great novated loans and green loans from some of our big banks and also from companies importing cheaper EVs like the Good Car Co. This means more and more locals will be getting into EVs in the coming months and years.
A knowledgeable guy once said to me “only journalists talk about range anxiety, electric vehicle owners actually talk about charger anxiety”. More than 90% of EV charging is done at home, but when you travel away from home, you really need to know that there are EV chargers on your way, that they are working and that there is one available around the time you need it.
So, we are really pleased to have two NRMA EV chargers here, to go along with the Fimer EV 22kW charger that we had donated to the community, located further up Barwon street. It is crucial that there are a few options for travellers. We have had at least half a dozen people travelling through town, call into our office in the main street asking where the EV chargers are and before these were open we would get the complaints about the lack of charging infrastructure.
We now have a strong EV community in northwest NSW and thank you to those who could make it today. These people are mostly motivated by the financial savings, and I can say, once you have swapped your petrol or diesel
vehicle for an EV, you will be incredulous at the savings. We estimate that we are saving over $13,000 per year compared to driving our old vehicle.
I can’t wait for when we can use our EV as a battery on wheels, plugging into our home to power our night time usage or plugging in power tools to use when we are out in the paddock.
My mum told me she remembers driving around when diesel vehicles first came in, looking for a fuel station that had diesel. So all changes take some adjustment but I thank NRMA for have this vision and delivering on it to help our region reduce our transport emissions. For the Narrabri LGA, about 7% of our total annual GHG emissions are from transport. So switching to electric vehicles is an enjoyable, fun and convenient way to drive down those emissions!
In 2024 Geni.Energy will be installing the Narrabri Community Battery Trial project right here in this same carpark. The community battery will help absorb excess daily solar, providing it back at night. Just like future uses of the EV’s, these are all ways to reduce the pressure on the grid and allow for more renewables in the system. The carpark will morph into the Narrabri Renewable Energy Precinct as Narrabri Shire Council moves to install the solar carpark and community facilities.
So stay tuned for big things next year.
Thank you to Minister Aitchison and to NRMA for this wonderful event!