News

Security of supply while two thermal generators are on outage

The ability of electricity supply to meet demand over time is referred to as 'security of supply'. It's about the availability of enough generation capacity ea…

How firming renewables will impact the electricity sector

Aotearoa New Zealand’s electricity system is transforming. More renewable electricity generation, like wind and solar farms, are being built to meet increasing…

The changing nature of electricity demand in Aotearoa

Electricity in New Zealand is supplied by hydro, geothermal, thermal and wind generation. Hydro and thermal generation have some capacity to store energy – in …

The electricity sector transition

New Zealand’s electricity system is transforming. In 2019, the Government passed a law targeting net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. To achieve this goa…

High hydro levels and wholesale prices

New Zealand produces over half of its electricity by hydro-electric dams. Upstream of these dams, lakes preserve water from rain and snow for later electricity…

Spot market price volatility in May 2023

In May 2023, the electricity spot market experienced extreme price volatility. Spot prices swung between $0.01 and $3,350/MWh. However, despite occasionally hi…

Solar generation now and in the future

There is currently around 270 MW of installed solar generation in New Zealand. This adds up to about the same capacity of a coal or gas fired Rankine generatio…

First instances of reserve scarcity pricing under real-time pricing

The Electricity Authority implemented real-time pricing for the wholesale electricity market in November 2022 in collaboration with Transpower and the wider el…

Southern lakes, the HVDC and thermal powered generation

Electricity demand and generation differ across New Zealand’s two main islands. The South Island has abundant hydro generation, while the North Island contains…

The New Zealand gas market

The Electricity Authority monitors how much gas is being used to generate electricity and how the short run marginal cost of gas is changing each month, with c…

HVDC inter-island cable: Benmore to Haywards

The high-voltage direct current cables (HVDC) electrically link the North and South Islands of New Zealand and are a vital piece of national infrastructure. Th…

The impact of our climate on hydro generation

Over 50% of New Zealand’s electricity is produced by hydro power. New Zealand’s largest hydro schemes, the Waitaki and Manapōuri, are in the South Island. Whil…