New generation boost from updated WEL exemption

We’ve approved an updated exemption for WEL and NewPower to support more solar and battery projects. The change, approved on 26 June 2025, will add capacity with two battery storage systems (50kW and 2MW), rooftop solar (1MW) and a new 24MW solar farm. When added to the existing exemption it brings the total generation capacity to 93.013MW.

One of the key projects is a 2MW battery in Raglan, which will help improve energy resilience in an area that’s often affected by bad weather and power outages. To encourage competition, WEL will also now need to run a request for proposals (RFP) for the 2MW battery project.

These changes are part of the Electricity Authority’s wider efforts to support local energy generation and build a more secure, resilient, and efficient electricity system for New Zealand.

Read the decision paper