Affordable power Kiwis can rely on

delivering more supply, more competition, and more choice for households and businesses, to help make power more affordable.

Delivering secure, affordable energy is critical to National’s plan to grow the economy and support New Zealanders with the cost of living. That’s why over this term National has undertaken a series of significant actions designed to enable new renewable generation, supported by more backup supply, and pro-competition rules that ensure the market works for everyone.

As a result, wholesale electricity prices have fallen significantly, and the country now has the strongest, most secure pipeline of new renewable generation in a generation – with new wind farms, solar farms, geothermal and battery projects. According to the Electricity Authority, more renewable generation has now been built in the last three years than the previous eight.

For households, that means there now exists a credible path to more affordable electricity prices over time. For businesses, lower wholesale electricity prices also mean manufacturers and exporters can remain internationally competitive, supporting economic.

A re-elected National Government will build on our success this term with Electrify NZ 2.0, a nine-point plan delivering more supply, more competition, and more choice for households and businesses, to help make power more affordable.

What we'll do

Unlock new energy development zones

By letting developers, major energy users, and investors build and own new transmission, and recover their costs from the parties who use the lines.

Make connections faster and cheaper

By giving every household, builder, and business the right to choose an accredited contractor for the connection work they’re paying for, not the one their network hands them.

Let Kiwis sell their power to the best buyer

Giving every household and business with solar or a battery the right to sell the power they export to any power company, not just the one they buy from.

Addressing the dry year problem

By levelling the playing field for backup power. National will use transparency, a standardised backup power contract, and regular auctions to open the closed backup market and draw in the competition and investment that keeps the lights on through dry periods.

Tackle lines charges

Through a targeted review of Part 4 of the Commerce Act and put an end to slow solar approvals by requiring distribution businesses to sign off residential and small business connections within two working days.

Make affordability a core objective for the Electricity Authority

By writing it into law, so the cost of power for households and businesses carries equal weight with competition, reliability, and efficiency in every decision the regulator makes.

Cut more red tape holding back renewables at every scale

From national rules letting Kiwis install solar, micro-hydro, and batteries on their own property without a consent, to implementing the RMA replacement so wind, solar, and hydro get built fast as standard, not the exception.