Transpower Launches Te Kanapu To Guide Long-Term Grid Investments

Transpower has launched a new initiative to guide strategic discussions across the electricity sector and with key stakeholders to inform its planning for its national electricity transmission grid investments to 2050 and beyond.

Te Kanapu looks towards an increasingly electrified future for Aotearoa New Zealand that is powered by increasing amounts of renewable generation. It will envision a range of possible scenarios and asks what the grid will need to look like to enable the reliable and affordable electricity supply necessary for a thriving, net zero economy by 2050.

Transpower Executive General Manager Future Grid John Clarke said the grid will need to support an increasingly complex power system and will not only need to be built up and expanded to meet growing demand, but will also need to be enhanced to make the most of new technologies and consumer energy resources (CER).

“Electrification is well underway and is set to pick up pace as we increasingly shift our focus toward low-carbon energy sources to power the way we live and work,” Mr Clarke said.

“We’re talking about a whole lot of new renewable generation such as wind and solar farms being connected to our grid in lots of new places, including through local distribution networks. And we’re talking about growing demand for technologies and services like rooftop solar, batteries, and EVs that will interact with the power system in new ways.

“We need to make sure we are set up as an industry to enable this transition, and Transpower is at the heart of that as the owner and operator of Aotearoa’s electricity transmission grid. It is our job to facilitate the flow of electrons from where they are generated to where they are used by Kiwis across the country.

“The conversations we are starting through Te Kanapu aim to tap expertise and insights from the electricity sector and interested stakeholders to guide our investment into the future of electricity transmission in this country.”

Te Kanapu builds on Transpower’s landmark Whakamana i te Mauri Hiko research that was launched in 2020 and introduces a new initiative to develop and deliver a ‘Grid Blueprint’ to provide a guide for long-term transmission infrastructure investment.

The Grid Blueprint development process over 2025 and 2026 will focus on wide engagement and developing a clear evidence base for investment guided by fresh scenario modelling.

Mr Clarke said that the scale of investment needed across all parties involved in generating and delivering the power that New Zealand will need means a long-term picture of the future grid is essential for system-wide coordination and efficiency, as well as for keeping costs down for consumers.

“This will give those who plan to generate, move, buy and sell electricity better information, and enable the energy industry to coordinate and optimise their own plans,” he said.

“Ultimately, this is all about ensuring the transmission network supports Aotearoa New Zealand to thrive, enabling a growing economy and decarbonising through electrification.”

Notes:

‘Kanapu’ means both ‘lightning’ and ‘bright’. Lightning as the raw form of electricity is a key symbol on the pou whakairo (carving) in the entrance hall at Waikoukou, Transpower’s head office in Wellington. ‘Te Kanapu’ speaks about the electrification and illumination of our country and Transpower’s goals for a bright, energised future.

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