Top Energy

Top Energy crew take top honours.  Our incredible team brought home the overall award from the Connexis Annual Connection event held this year in Te Awamutu! Over three intense days, our line mechanics and one of our trainees pitted their expertise against the best in New Zealand. Their grit and determination truly paid off! Chief Executive Russell Shaw said “the company had always known that we have a pool of skilled, hardworking, and talented teams working on our network. It is very satisfying that the rest of the country now knows about it too." This competition highlights both the critical importance of electricity safety and the exciting career opportunities in our sector. Proud to see our team maintaining their reputation for excellence in keeping New Zealand powered and connected!

Top Energy converts 100% of lending into certified Green Loans Top Energy has successfully converted 100% of its lending into Green Loans. Following the success of reinjecting carbon emissions from the Ngāwhā geothermal power stations, Top Energy has sufficient eligible assets to convert all lending facilities into Green Loans. Westpac New Zealand Limited (Westpac) was appointed as sole Sustainability Coordinator for the development of the Green Finance Framework which aligns with the APLMA/LMA/LSTA Green Loan Principles and ICMA Green Bond Principles. A green loan is a type of loan specifically designed to fund projects or investments that have clear environmental benefits. The eligibility criteria for the Green Loans include Renewable Energy—Electrical Grids and Storage—and Renewable Energy—Generation. Top Energy will show that it continues to meet the criteria through annual certification. Establishment of the Framework is part of the wider commitment to sustainability as reported in Annual Sustainability Reports over the last three years. Being able to achieve 100% Green Loans is a testament to the relationships with the wider lender panel, consisting of ANZ, BNZ, Bank of China, CCB, ICBC, and Westpac.

We are proud to announce that Top Energy Chief Executive Russell Shaw has been recognised as a finalist for the Robert Walters New Zealand Leadership Awards! Being shortlisted in the Air New Zealand Large Business Leadership Award category highlights Russell's transformative and inspirational leadership within the Far North's energy sector and community. This acknowledgment speaks volumes about his contributions and impact in the industry, demonstrating his influence and dedication to creating positive outcomes for the people of the Far North. The award ceremony on 15 August will be an exciting event. Regardless of the outcome, it will be an evening to celebrate New Zealand’s resilient, innovative, and tenacious leaders. #NZLeadershipAwards #RobertWalters

The Northern Energy Group (NEG) is committed to leading a new energy future with the voices and interests of our communities at the centre. The energy sector in Aotearoa is on the brink of significant change and opportunity. Electrification of the economy means demand on our networks will double. De-carbonisation of the sector is crucial to climate action in Aotearoa. Electricity Distribution Businesses (EDBs) in Aotearoa have a critical role to play to support innovation and enable greater consumer choice. Together, NEG members have developed a vision document which sets out some of the shifts in context shaping the future, and how our roles will evolve to ensure we continue to deliver for our communities. In today’s world, EDBs are the Distribution Network Operator (DNO) with responsibilities for the safe, secure and reliable distribution of electricity to our connected customers. Tomorrow, as consumer-owned and other distributed energy resources (DER) take off, along with our traditional DNO responsibilities, EDBs’ roles will naturally evolve to include more active distribution system operation. We will play the role of ‘energy orchestrators’, being the primary entry point into the dynamic distribution system for new actors such as prosumers, EV charging and demand-side managers and aggregators. As Distribution System Operators (DSOs), we will foster engagement and interaction with stakeholders, unlocking a flexible system that creates new opportunities for innovative energy services and shared value. Our vision highlights seven specific ways in which regulatory and policy frameworks will need to adapt to enable and support this transition. We welcome development in this area by the Electricity Authority. The release of their discussion paper on Future System Operation last week is an important milestone, and reflects several of the shifts and directions we highlight. We look forward to engaging with the Authority directly, as well as other key stakeholders. NEG is bringing together our collective expertise to envision and chart a course to a DSO future, with the interests of our consumers at the centre. We are also leveraging our existing work to participate fully in the corresponding workstreams of Electricity Networks Aotearoa’s Future Networks Forum (FNF). The FNF is exploring the future industry roles and functions required to unlock distributed flexibility – a critical piece of work, at a critical time in Aotearoa’s transition. For now, we look forward to hearing your thoughts on our vision for collective DSO evolution. Top Energy Northpower Vector Limited Waipā Networks The Lines Company Counties Energy Electra Ltd Andrew McLeod Russell Shaw Josie Boyd Mark Toner Judy Nicholl Mike Fox Sean Horgan Geoff Douch James Tipping Moonis Vegdani Gordon Ramsay Electricity Authority Te Mana Hiko Electricity Networks Aotearoa