Exploring network visibility

We’re seeking feedback on the ideas in this discussion paper about improving 'network visibility' - where more information about network constraints and capacity is made publicly available and is accessible. Our paper includes the associated costs, benefits and the value improving network visibility could bring.

Improving ‘network visibility’ could bring important benefits to a range of parties. For example, it could:

• support access seekers’ decisions about where to request a new or upgraded connection
• inform investment decisions about the installation of distributed energy resources
• help identify where on the network distributed energy resources and non-network assets can provide value.

We’re in the early stages of this work and want to understand if more needs to be done to ensure efforts to improve network visibility occurs at the right pace and in the right way.

On 18 September 2025, we held a workshop in Wellington to explore the key concepts and questions in the discussion paper.

You may find the workshop materials below useful for informing any written feedback you’d like to share.

• Summary of workshop feedback
• Exploring network visibility – Electricity Authority presentation
• EDB disclosures related to network visibility under Part 4 Commerce Act Commerce Commission presentation
• Powerco presentation
• Network Waitaki presentation
• FlexForum presentation

We welcome your feedback on the questions in our discussion paper by 5pm, Friday 17 October 2025.

Our preference is to receive feedback in Microsoft Word in the format shown in Appendix E to distribution.feedback@ea.govt.nz with the subject line ‘Exploring network visibility’ by 5pm, Friday 17 October 2025.

If you cannot send your feedback electronically, please contact distribution.feedback@ea.govt.nz or call 04 460 8860 to discuss alternative arrangements.

We will publish all feedback. If you consider that we should not publish any part of your feedback, please:

• indicate which part should not be published and explain why, and
• provide a version that we can publish (if we agree not to publish your full feedback).

All feedback, including any parts that the Authority does not proactively publish, can be requested under the Official Information Act 1982.