National Environmental Standards for Electricity Transmission Activities: technical (1 of 9)
The technical pages provide background and explanations of:
The electricity transmission network or 'National Grid'
About the National Grid
The electricity transmission network (commonly known as the National Grid) transmits electricity produced at generation sources to regional substations. The National Grid is made up of 11 800km of high-voltage transmission lines and 178 substations and switchyards.
Regional substations (referred to as grid exit points) convey electricity via the electricity distribution network to local substations and on to homes and businesses. The local electricity distribution network is owned by lines companies and operated by distribution companies. The NES does not cover electricity distribution.
Electricity transmission infrastructure is located in all 85 council jurisdictions throughout New Zealand. Transpower is a state-owned enterprise that owns, plans, builds, maintains and operates the National Grid. Refer to the Transpower website for further information.
The National Grid:
- plays an essential role in maintaining reliability and security of supply: by ensuring there is adequate back up/reserve generation and transmission to minimise disruption to consumers
- delivers investor confidence to both the suppliers and consumers of electricity, by maintaining and developing the transmission network to meet the standards specified in the Electricity Governance Rules
- allows customers to access multiple generators
- facilitates the development of new electricity generation technologies, including renewable energy, by providing access to markets.
A quick-reference map to the national grid is available on the Transpower website and information on transmission maintenance and upgrade projects at Grid New Zealand.
Regional Network Map
Transpower has provided maps of the National Grid to most Regional and District Councils. Any councils that do not have maps of the National Grid can request them from Transpower. As changes are made to the National Grid, Transpower will provide updated maps. Maps of the National Grid are available as GIS Shape files so they can be incorporated onto relevant planning maps. This is a requirement of the National Policy Statement on Electricity Transmission.
There is a convention for transmission line names. The line name is a composite of the three-letter substation names at each end of the line. For example the line between Bunnythorpe and Whakamaru substations is named the BPE-WKM A. The A differentiates this line from others (B & C lines) that may connect the same substations.
Last updated: 18 January 2010
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