Energy Trusts New Zealand

💡Leaving Wellington after two days at the ETNZ Autumn Conference. 💡Energy Trusts of New Zealand Incorporated (ETNZ) is the national organisation of consumer-owned power distribution representing and advocating on behalf of regional energy trusts located throughout New Zealand. These trusts are owners of companies operating electricity distribution networks on behalf of local consumers and communities. 💡Attending as Chair of WEL Energy Trust with fellow Trustee Alan Chew CEO Marcel Manders , the conference has been an excellent opportunity to reconnect with our sector, meet and hear fróm Energy Minister Hon. Simeon Brown, hear from marketplace speakers: AI NZ Forum, Commerce Commission, Electricity Authority, Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority (EECA) and more. 💡WEL Energy Trust and WEL Network look forward to hosting ETNZ for its Spring Conference in November. Watch this space! #GoodGovernance #renewablesolutions #energy #electricity #waikato #solarpower

It was a privilege to present the findings of our study into the productivity performance of local electricity lines companies at last week's Energy Trusts New Zealand Autumn conference. Together with my colleague Diego Villalobos Alberú, we explored the role of the Commerce Commission in placing scrutiny on the performance of lines companies, and the ways in which that aligns with the role of Trustees. We emphasised the importance of our relationship with Energy Trusts of New Zealand and its members, who bring hugely valuable perspectives to our work. Here's two of the headline messages we shared from our study:   🔑 The key message: measured productivity has been in long term decline, although somewhat stabilising in the last ten years. Prices for electricity distribution (averaged across New Zealand) could be around 20% lower if these companies’ measured productivity today was at the same level as in 2008. 🔑 The key challenges: improving both the measurement of productivity and also the actual productivity performance of the industry. For example, improvement in measurement might require a broader definition of outputs, as this work might be missing some areas of increased outputs from the distribution companies like improved safety for workers and the community. You can view the study here: https://lnkd.in/gpMjHCwW

It has been a busy few weeks! Last week I attended the Energy Trusts New Zealand Conference in Wellington. I have been coming to these six-monthly conferences for 13 years now and have only missed 2 during that time. I always look forward to catching up with old friends (and new friends) from the other lines trusts around the country and listening to topics of interest for the sector. This week I have been at the Institute of Directors in New Zealand leadership conference at the amazing Te Pae convention centre in beautiful Ōtautahi Christchurch. This is my first IOD leadership conference and I can see why it is so popular (with over 700 attendees this year). Key themes from both conferences have been AI, disruption, and the infrastructure investment challenges we face as a country. It is both a challenging and exciting time to be involved in governance. I am looking forward to seeing my teams tomorrow but am only back home in Taupō for a day before flying back to Auckland for the INFINZ awards with LGFA, who are finalists. I am really looking forward to my first INFINZ awards and meeting some more new people.

Thanks so much to Energy Trusts New Zealand for the invitation to come speak at their Autumn Conference in Wellington last week. I had a brilliant time talking very passionately about our story, ARC, and data in the Electrical sector in NZ. I got to share some thoughts around the opportunities, challenges and future of data exchange in the industry, and how it can be used to better serve the most important participant of all - the consumers! We got to have some fun with it, and it wouldn't be an Energy sector yarn without an acronym or ten, the response I got from the representatives of the 19 Energy Trusts at the event was very positive, and it made me proud to know the humble person at the end of the line was very much front of mind for the people in the room, and our interests were being looked after. P.S. thanks to Will for the mock photo *after* the speech was done, but probably (marginally) better than a photo of me 'practicing' morning tea from Cathie 😀