Transpower has initiated a public consultation to design a long-term blueprint for the national grid. The consultation, launched on 21 July 2025, falls under the Te Kanapu initiative and begins with a public survey open to all New Zealanders. Responses will inform how the grid evolves to support future energy needs.
Transpower Launches Te Kanapu to Guide Grid Development Through 2050
Transpower launched Te Kanapu at the end of May as a long-range planning framework for electricity transmission. The initiative seeks to align infrastructure development with the country’s net-zero carbon targets and economic direction. A grid blueprint will form the core of this effort, mapping out future demand, generation, and technological change.
Opens Survey to Capture National Energy Insights
The first phase of consultation is accessible via an online survey, open to the general public. In parallel, Transpower has initiated conversations with the electricity sector and key industry groups to gather a wide range of ideas and expectations.
The goal is to reflect diverse economic and technological forecasts, ensuring the blueprint is rooted in real-world insights. According to Transpower Executive General Manager of Future Grid, John Clarke, such collaboration is crucial.
“We know there are a lot of people from a range of businesses, organisations and sectors that have insights and are making plans that will shape our country in the future,” he said. “We want to make sure the electricity infrastructure enables those aspirations.”
Transpower Uses Public Input to Build Future Energy Scenarios
Information gathered from the consultation will inform a series of future scenarios for New Zealand. These scenarios will include both a broad national vision and detailed inputs related to electricity sector assumptions—such as demand growth, power generation, and technology evolution.
The preferred approach emphasises cooperation across public and private sectors, with Transpower urging all stakeholders to contribute their knowledge and plans.
“There’s a real opportunity for those in the sector and across the wider economy to work together and help ensure the national electricity grid is an enabler for New Zealand,” Clarke added.
Transpower’s consultation process is designed to gather diverse input from across New Zealand. The initiative positions electricity infrastructure as central to the country’s long-term development goals. The public survey, now live, invites individuals and organisations to contribute to the national planning effort.