Building a blueprint to become the world’s first fully electrified visitor destination through the Queenstown Electrification Accelerator
Queenstown Lakes has committed to a bold climate goal: to become a carbon zero visitor economy by 2030. At the same time, the region faces some of New Zealand’s highest energy costs, largely tied to imported fossil fuels. Every year, households and businesses spend millions on petrol,gas, and diesel.
Queenstown Electrification Accelerator (QEA) offers practical pathways for households and businesses to cut bills and emissions while boosting resilience in the face of risks such as rising energy costs and the Alpine Fault earthquake scenario. By supporting solar, batteries, electric transport, and smarter energy use, QEA sets the stage for the district to become a global example of clean energy leadership.
The Queenstown Electrification Accelerator
The Queenstown Electrification Accelerator (QEA) is acoordinated programme of projects, partnerships, and community support designed to accelerate the adoption of clean energy. It provides independent, free energy education and advice through guides, workshops, and one-on-one consultations, helping households and businesses make informed choices that reduce both costs and emissions. Independent research and analysis support this, with transparent energy modelling that makes the financial and environmental impacts clear.
Practical support is also a key focus. The initiative negotiates group discounts on technologies such as heat pumps, solar systems, batteries, and electric vehicles, while also testing innovations like vehicle-to-grid systems and community batteries. QEA works with the visitor economy through feasibility and case studies, and sector specific workshops, to support the acceleration towards electrifying the visitor economy, and reducing the reliance on fossil fuel machines.
Another important outcome is the growth of local expertise. By providing training and resources for installers and trades, QEA strengthens the region’s clean energy workforce, ensuring that the skills and jobs generated through electrification remain within the district. Together, these efforts create a practical, fair, and scalable model for district-wide electrification.
Towards the world’s first electrified destination
The ambition goes beyond energy savings. QEA is aboutpositioning Queenstown Lakes as the world’s first fully electrified visitor destination- a place where locals enjoy cleaner air and cheaper power, and where visitors experience an innovative district, powered entirely by renewables.
Electrification also directly supports tourism. Reliable, resilient, and low-emissions energy systems ensure that hotels, attractions, and essential infrastructure can continue to operate even in the face of future shocks. In doing so, the initiative strengthens innovation and resilience, community wellbeing and the visitor experience - key pillars of the Destination Management Plan.
Connection to the Destination Management Plan
The Queenstown Electrification Accelerator is a key workstream out of the DMP’s Keystone Project: Carbon Zero by 2030, by driving emissions reductions across businesses and households. It supports Project 8: Measuring greenhouse gas emissions by providing data and modelling on the impacts of electrification within the district. It strengthens Project 9: Carbon Zero by 2030, by supporting key decarbonisation workstreams out of the roadmap, such as powering the visitor economy, transporting visitors around the destination, and building the visitor economy. It also aligns with Project 18: Emergency and Climate Adaptation Preparedness, helping to build resilience through the installation of solar and batteries that can provide backup power in the event of natural disasters.
Why this matters and what’s next
The success of QEA relies on broad participation. Businesses and homeowners can commit to upgrading appliances, electrifying heating andcooling systems, transport, or installing solar and batteries. Businesses can partner with QEA to help share the word and benefits of electrification. Suppliers, installers, and funders are invited to join in scaling the programme.
By leaning into electrification now, Queenstown Lakes has the opportunity to lower bills, reduce emissions, and build resilience - while showing the world what regenerative tourism in action looks like.
To learn more, access resources, or register interest, visit qea.nz.
If you have any questions, feedback, or comments, pleasereach out through the contact form.
