Enabling investment and innovation
Open ConsultationTransitioning to a more digital electricity system
Supporting New Zealand’s transition to a smarter, more connected and data-driven energy system.
Open consultation
Overview
We want a smarter, more digitalised energy system that supports increased consumer mobility – a future where households and businesses are active participants, equipped with data and innovative tools to switch providers, take advantage of new products and services, and share power with others in a system that works for them.
We welcome your feedback on our discussion document Our future is digital by 10 July 2025 – it's our first step towards creating a whole-of-system view of what needs to be done to deliver more digital electricity system.
Once we’ve received feedback, we will undertake further engagement with interested parties to dive deeper into the challenges and opportunities. We will then develop a system-wide view of what’s happening, and a roadmap of actions for the Electricity Authority to take to help drive digitalisation across all points of the electricity system.
Later this year, we will also consult on increasing the visibility of capacity on distribution networks through better data collection and sharing.
Timeline
Project background
This project is about shaping the industry rules to support New Zealand’s transition to a smarter, more connected and data-driven energy system.
We want to enable a digitalised electricity system that harnesses the power of data and new technologies to efficiently deliver a secure and reliable electricity supply, at the lowest possible cost. This will enable people to actively participate and benefit from the electricity system.
We have a number of projects underway to support the transition towards a more digitalised system. For example, we are:
- improving how we monitor the retail market to improve outcomes for domestic and small business consumers
- proposing rule changes that improve transparency of network capacity and connection pipelines by making more information available
- supporting the development of a potential electricity consumer data right
- proposing rule changes to allow consumers to have contracts with multiple electricity retailers
- enabling easier retail switching by improving comparison and switching services and tools for consumers.
Other projects in Enabling investment and innovation
View all projectsEnergy Competition Task Force
Investigating actions to strengthen the performance of the electricity market for the benefit of all consumers.
Evolving multiple trading and switching
Introducing multiple traders at a property and an operational review of industry switching processes.
Distributor involvement in flexibility services market
Developing guidance to support a competitive flexibility services market for more efficient and cost-effective use of the distribution network.