4 April 2006
Transpower Publishes Annual Planning Report 2006
Transpower has published its first Annual Planning Report, a document which provides detail on the issues impacting on
electricity demand and generation in New Zealand over the next ten years, viewed from the perspective of the
transmission network owner.
The Annual Planning Report also encompasses the regulatory requirement on Transpower to submit a Grid Reliability Report
to the Electricity Commission by 31 March 2006.
Transpower’s General Manager Grid Investment, Tim George, says that the aim of the document is to provide a one-stop
shop of Transpower’s planned development of the backbone and regional transmission networks over the next decade.
“We wanted to build upon previously released documents to provide a comprehensive planning document, that the wider
electricity industry could benefit from in terms of signalling where and when non-transmission investment might be
useful.
“By laying our plans on the table, we hope to provide more certainty to the market and the public about where we think
we may need to develop the transmission network over the next ten years.”
The Annual Planning Report considers the latest demand forecasts and compares these with the transmission capacity in 12
regions covering the country. The periods and places when capacity is approaching its limit are highlighted and possible
transmission developments to relieve the situation are listed.
“This is a very comprehensive document but we’re encouraging people to provide feedback so we can further improve its
usefulness in future editions.”
While the Annual Planning Report summarises potential investments over the next ten years, Transpower must still comply
with the regulatory approval processes before any projects can be commenced. This will mean consulting with interested
parties, determining whether alternatives are available, selecting the most cost effective option and requesting
approval from the Electricity Commission.
The nearly 300 page Annual Planning Report 2006 is freely available from Transpower’s website, www.transpower.co.nz
ENDS