Our strategic publications, Whakamana i Te Mauri Hiko – Empowering our Energy Future (2020), Te Mauri Hiko (2018), Transmission Tomorrow (2023), Electrification Roadmap (2021), and Sustainability Strategy (2023) set out our plans for developing the transmission system of the future – one in which electricity demand increases as the transport and process heat sectors are electrified and as new renewable generation is added to the system.
Developments in solar and battery technology, from grid scale down to residential installations, along with the electrification of process heat, will also define the low-carbon energy system of the future. We have produced in-depth reports on all three topics as part of our strategic work programme: The sun rises on a solar energy future (2019), Taking the climate heat out of process heat (2019), Distributed Battery Energy Storage Systems in New Zealand (2019), Solar PV in New Zealand (2017), Battery Storage in New Zealand (2017).
We also conduct research, the latest papers being our Enabling Offshore Renewable Generation analysis and Corporate Power Purchase Agreements thought paper.
Our electricity system is already around 85% renewable and this is set to increase over the coming years. We need to make changes today to maintain our safe, secure and reliable supply of renewable energy as demand grows, encourage investment, and to build the workforce needed to run the new energy system.
We’re not doing this alone. Improving New Zealand’s energy sector is a collaborative exercise. We are working closely with policy makers, regulators, generators, electricity distribution businesses and consumers of all sizes including industry. Our materiality assessment helps us to understand what matters most to our stakeholders.
Working together is the most efficient way we can electrify our economy.