Distribution Connection Pricing Technical Group
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Role
The Distribution Connection Pricing Technical Group was established in June 2024 to ensure stakeholder knowledge is captured in our work on connection pricing, and to assist with testing the workability of related Code amendments.
The Electricity Authority is working on rules to mandate efficient connection pricing as it believes some connection pricing settings may be resulting in inefficiently high upfront charges that could act as a barrier to electrification.
Efficient connection pricing rules will help access seekers and distributors optimise their investments, resulting in better use of the distribution network and lower costs to consumers.
Members
The group is made up of 12 members appointed by the Electricity Authority to represent a broad array of knowledge and experience of network connections and specifically pricing of connections. Members have been appointed for a 10-month term, ending in April 2025.
- Nathan Astwood, Firstlight Network, Commercial Manager
- Dani Bayly, ChargeNet, Chief Financial Officer
- Tarryn Butcher, Orion New Zealand, Pricing Manager
- Steven Cooper, Top Energy, Estimating Manager
- Alex Nisbet, EA Networks, Pricing Manager
- Stephen Peterson, Company Director and Industry Advisor
- Richard Sharp, Vector General Manager Economic Regulation and Pricing
- Simon Shen, Northpower Head of Commercial and Regulatory
- Sam Steele, EO Charging Director of Commercial Operations and Board member of Drive Electric
- Jon Stone, Aurora Energy Commercial Planning and Pricing Manager
- Howard Wood, Manawa Energy Commercial Partnership Manager
The Chair is the Electricity Authority’s Senior Legal Counsel, Catherine Marks.
Tim Hewitt, Principal Adviser, Performance and Understanding from the Commerce Commission is an observer.