Electricity Authority exemption supports more solar energy generation in the Waikato

Electricity Distribution Business WEL Networks welcomes the Electricity Authority’s decision to approve an exemption that will support more solar energy generation in the Waikato, improving regional resilience.

The exemption, to Part 6A of the Electricity Industry Participation Code, will allow WEL Networks to install two new solar farms along with Rotohiko, WEL’s Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) on their distribution network.

This will provide a total of 64MW worth of energy that can be stored and released into the market, as and when the region needs it most.

Encouraging and enabling investment in local electricity generation is critical to building regional resilience and WEL welcomes the Electricity Authority reviewing of the relevant rules to ensure New Zealand continues to encourage investment in generation at a local level.

WEL Networks would like to thank the Electricity Authority for the work and effort their team put into granting the exemption which will enable WEL to continue to position the Waikato Region as a leader in the area of renewable energy.