Transition period for reporting pipeline of network connections

The Electricity Authority Te Mana Hiko (Authority) is improving transparency by making information about generation and load connecting to distribution networks publicly available.

While the new reporting requirements take effect on 1 December 2026, the Authority is allowing a transition period before distributors must publish the full set of information on their websites for all connection applicants and provide it to the Authority.

Overall, these requirements will improve the visibility of planned development on distribution networks and complement the information already available in the Authority’s Generation Investment Pipeline, which predominantly captures information on transmission-connected developments.

The new information will further help developers, regulators and system planners better understand future electricity demand and supply, supporting more informed investment and planning decisions.

The Authority intends to incorporate this information into its Generation Investment Pipeline dashboard in 2027, providing a single source of information on planned new generation and load developments across transmission and distribution networks.

Transition period for some types of connections

From 1 December 2026, distributors will also need to comply with new rules to make applications for distributed generation connections faster, easier and more consistent across the country.

For load connections, these rules apply from 1 June 2027.

The Authority recognises that some applications will already be under assessment when the reporting requirements take effect. In addition, distributors may not have systems in place to collect all the required information from load applications until the new application processes begin.

To address these issues, there will be a transition period (1 December 2026 – 1 June 2027*) where distributors will be able to provide a reduced set of information to the Authority, while being encouraged to publish information on their websites.

Information provided to the Authority during the transition period includes generation or load capacity, generation type and location, but not the more detailed information about project milestones, such as consents and finance. We are recommending that similar details be included when distributors publish information on their pipeline of connection applications.

The transition period only applies to connections that used the existing application processes and are already ‘in-flight’ when the new application processes are introduced.

Full reporting requirements

The full reporting requirements will apply to:

• all new distributed generation connection applications received from 1 December 2026
• all new load connection applications received from 1 June 2027

*Distributors have six months to transition to the full reporting requirements for load applications received between 1 December 2026 and 1 June 2027.

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