Top Energy and Northpower are part of the Northern Energy Group. Electricity lines companies from the Waikato to the Far North are working together to ensure all our consumers benefit from the changes in technology and innovation happening across our networks.

We learn from large companies like Vector who have the capacity to implement large scale projects, and smaller companies like Waipa Networks and The Lines Company in the Waikato who have rural lines and terrain like ours.

Together, nearly 45% of New Zealand’s power connections are across our networks. We also participate in working groups with all electricity lines companies in New Zealand.

The shared experiences on topics such as tree management, outages and customer impact management, helps us improve our network and the reliability of power supplied in the Far North

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NEG CEO panel online stakeholder event Sept 22: Thanks to all those who attended online and for your pertinent questions to the panel on the Group’s work to ensure our communities and Aotearoa are ready fCEO’s Andrew McLeod (Northpower), Russell Shaw (Top Energy), Mike Fox (Acting CE - The Lines Company), Simon McKenzie (Vector Limited) Sean Horgan (Waipa Networks) and Judy Nicholl (Counties Energy).
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Neighbourly with Northpower

Top Energy and Northpower have a long-standing working relationship. As neighbours, it's in the best interests of our communities that we share as much as possible with each other.
By not re-inventing the wheel we accelerate projects and save on spending. It also makes it easier for national businesses, such as solar
installers, to engage with us because we’re working on adopting a common set of standards.

What we have in common

  • Public safety campaigns are coordinated to get the same messaging across Northland.
  • Shared sponsorship of the Northland Rescue Helicopter, Healthy Homes Tai Tokerau and the Northland Business Excellence Awards.
  • Both working with Transpower to gauge interest in a Renewable Energy Zone to reduce the cost of connection for large scale solar farms in Northland.
  • The same small scale solar installation standards with large solar installation standards on the way.
  • Our Fault management systems are the same, so we have the ability to support each other’s network in the event of a nationwide disaster.
  • We use the same customer relationship management software, sharing best practice and process improvements between us.
  • We are investigating the same telephony systems, so we won’t have to pay for the design of them twice.
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Published in Far North newspapers week beginning 10 October 2022