Mike Casey (entrepreneur)
Mike Casey | |
|---|---|
 Casey presenting at Canterbury Tech Summit 2024 | |
| Occupation(s) | orchardist, electrification advocate |
Mike Casey is a New Zealand entrepreneur, software developer, cherry orchardist and electrification advocate.
After moving to Sydney in 2008, Casey was a co-founder of GradConnection, a software platform that connects recent tertiary graduates with jobs.[1][2] In 2019, GradConnection was sold to recruitment and jobs classifieds service SEEK.[3]
After the sale of GradConnection, Casey moved back to New Zealand with his family and founded Forest Lodge Orchard. The orchard grows cherries near Cromwell in Central Otago. The orchard is entirely electrified and uses no fossil fuels.[4] Electrifying the orchard operation included New Zealand's first electric frost fans, deployment of 100 kW (130 hp)[5] of solar power generation and a 300 kWh (1,100 MJ) battery energy storage system, and purchase of only electric farm vehicles and power tools.[4][6][7]
Casey helped to create a certification called New Zealand Zer0 administered by AsureQuality, which certifies that a business does not use any fossil fuels in their operation. The certification does not allow the use of carbon offsets and credits by a business to claim they have net zero emissions.[4]
Casey is the CEO of Rewiring Aotearoa, a charity that advocates for the complete electrification of New Zealand.[8][9]
References
- ^ Rae, Sally (13 July 2021), "Central Otago cherry orchard preparing for 'electric future'", The New Zealand Herald, archived from the original on 8 December 2023, retrieved 30 September 2024
- ^ Adams, Billy (26 November 2010), "Kiwi entrepreneurs blitz graduate market", The Sydney Morning Herald, retrieved 30 September 2024
- ^ Mason, Max (11 February 2019), "SEEK moves to strengthen graduate offering with GradConnection acquisition", Australian Financial Review, archived from the original on 4 January 2022, retrieved 29 September 2024
- ^ a b c "NZ Agricultural Show: Mike Casey to talk about making Forest Lodge Orchard fully electric", The New Zealand Herald, 9 November 2022, archived from the original on 18 May 2024, retrieved 30 September 2024
- ^ "Cherry grower hails generating electricity", Otago Daily Times Online News, 10 September 2024, archived from the original on 24 September 2024, retrieved 30 September 2024
- ^ "Electric Cherry". Country Calendar. Season 2023. Episode 32. 8 October 2023. TVNZ. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ "Cherry orchardists ditch diesel for electricity", RNZ, 24 October 2023, archived from the original on 29 October 2023, retrieved 30 September 2024
- ^ "It is now cheaper to run a fully electric home and car in NZ", Newstalk ZB, 18 March 2024, archived from the original on 20 April 2024, retrieved 29 September 2024
- ^ "New report shows Kiwis could save thousands by switching to electric appliances, vehicles", Newshub, 18 March 2024, archived from the original on 11 April 2024, retrieved 29 September 2024 – via Youtube