Aurora Energy is on the hunt for "flexibility suppliers" and large businesses in the Queenstown Lakes and Upper Clutha areas to provide non-network capacity support during peak times.
Aurora chief executive Richard Fletcher said if successful it was likely future network investment could be deferred or avoided, which "saves costs for customers".
Increased electrification in the region, driven by decarbonisation efforts, a move away from fossil fuels and population growth was increasing demand in the Queenstown Lakes and while "tactical upgrades" helped ensure enough network capacity in Queenstown in the medium term, "significant investment" would be needed to support regional growth.
Aurora was working with Transpower and others on longer-term options, but "non-network solutions", such as solar and batteries that generate electricity locally, or options that shifted electricity use away from peak time, could be a game-changer.
In 2022, the lines company successfully partnered with a solar battery aggregator in the Upper Clutha — the first-of-its-kind initiative in New Zealand allowed Aurora to reduce peak load by 1MW, delaying major infrastructure upgrades by two years, which relieved pressure on the network and resulted in cost savings for customers.
Mr Fletcher said the company was now putting out a call to any supplier or business that could provide similar support in Queenstown Lakes.
"This is a new area for the energy sector, and we want to understand what resources are available so we can fully integrate these into our network strategy as we work towards a decarbonised energy future," he said.
"This is an example of the way we’re moving from being a traditional network to a more intelligent one, which integrates renewable energy technology." — APL
