Electricity AMP Update 2025
In March 2025 we updated our electricity Asset Management Plan (AMP), reflecting changes to our full ten-year plan which we published in 2023.
You can read it here
Our AMP supports our Grow to zero vision for Aotearoa New Zealand. We see the sustainable energy transition as an opportunity for Aotearoa to grow. Kiwis could leverage our abundant and affordable clean energy to produce low-emissions goods and services as countries worldwide seek to decarbonise.
Our part in delivering this lies in continuing to invest wisely in our electricity infrastructure in collaboration with our customers, while balancing the priorities of reliability, sustainability and affordability. Reviewing and updating our plan annually means we can be responsive to the changing energy landscape and our customers’ changing needs. That ensures we continue to deliver value for money by making informed investment decisions.
We’ve also been able to confirm our investment spend to make sure it’s in line with the revenue allowances that our regulator the Commerce Commission confirmed in November 2024 for the period 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2030.
Here’s a look at the highlights from this year’s update...
By 2030 we’ll be working as a distribution system operator (DSO)
Our customers will be able to export into and trade energy on our network which we will operate dynamically which in turn will enable two-way flow of power to and from our customers. To do this, our network will be highly automated, and we’ll be using a range of options to manage capacity effectively.
The first step in doing this is investing to gain full visibility of network use and power quality down to low-voltage (LV) level. That will enable us to see where the network has capacity and where it is constrained so we can make fully-informed decisions about where we need to invest. It will also improve safety and reliability because we’ll be able to accurately pinpoint outages, and we’ll be able to see where distributed generation power is flowing from our customers back into the network. This LV work is also key enabler for creating a full network model, and to run system simulations.
We’ll also have flexibility products and solutions in place to manage peak demand, and a flexibility market platform for customers, flex providers and other electricity distributors to use.
Engaging with our communities to understand their needs and expectations and to collaborate on solutions is also key.
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- Our first calls for flexibility solutions
- Our low voltage BESS units in Tauranga
- Our Distributed Generation capacity map
We’ve integrated pricing and planning
Making sure that our customers are using our existing network effectively before we build more capacity means we can be sure we’re making the best network investment decisions and spending wisely.
That's why we're using localised price signals and collaborating on flexibility solutions to reduce peak demand.
In areas of our network where we’ll need to add capacity in the next 10 years we’ll look to introduce peak charges during high demand times. This provides a signal for customers to shift their power use outside peak times so the existing capacity is used more effectively. In turn that means we can defer investment.
From 1 April 2025 we introduced peak charges in the north Coromandel where we experience high demand during the holidays.
We’ve also introduced a rebate for customers who export excess power from their batteries or distributed generation into our network during peak periods, because this also helps us defer planned investment.
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We’re improving resilience
We’re embedding our Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan into our AMP. We’re continuing to work with our communities to understand their adaptation plans and where we can install off-grid generation to keep customers connected to power when they’re isolated from the main supply.
We’re also investing in AiDash which uses satellite technology and AI to optimise our vegetation management programme and keep the costs of running the network down for customers.
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We’re developing our people
We’re investing in our people to ensure we have the right skills and talent to deliver the energy transition.
We’ll be investing significantly in our Graduate Programme during the next five years to support emerging talent, and we’ve developed a bespoke leadership development programme as part of our high-performance culture.
We’re also working in collaboration with Champions for Change to reduce the gender pay gap in the electricity sector.
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We’re working differently with our customers and our contractors
We’ve reviewed and consolidated our partnerships with the contractors who work on our network, and we’re moving to managing the end-to-end experience for new connections.
Taking effect from mid-2025, these changes will improve customer experiences by simplifying processes, and standardising the cost of many new connections.
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The opportunity to grow to zero
Electrification is a key enabler to helping Aotearoa to decarbonise as we work towards being net-zero by 2050 - using our adundant renewable electricity generation resources like wind, hydro and solar to move away from fossil fuels over time.
As part of that sustainable energy transition, we see an opportunity to leverage our clean energy system to attract investment and grow the economy.
We call this ambitious thinking 'grow to zero' and you can read our white paper HERE