Industry

Power Innovation Pathway

Kia ora innovators

Welcome to the Power Innovation Pathway

The Power Innovation Pathway is our ‘open front door’ for innovators wanting easy access to regulatory information and support to bring fresh ideas to market faster.

This could be a concept with wider benefits, or a local solution for your community.

To ‘step in the door’ and open the conversation with us, we invite you to tell us a bit about your new idea or concept by completing the Pathway entry form.

This should only take you 10-15 minutes.

Enter the Pathway

Enter the Pathway by 18 October 2024 to be considered for our full regulatory support programme.

Our goals

  • Open access for innovators

    An accessible, structured process for innovators to engage with us and receive the regulatory guidance you need.

  • Regulatory clarity

    Addressing real or perceived regulatory barriers to help innovators progress their ideas more efficiently.

  • Accelerating high-value ideas

    Supporting innovative ideas with potential to deliver significant benefit to electricity consumers.

  • Deepening market understanding

    Builds the Authority’s understanding of emerging opportunities and barriers, to enable more effective and adaptive regulation.

How it works

Pathway visualisation

Pathway visualisation

Step by step

The Pathway provides a streamlined process for innovators to receive regulatory advice and support through the following steps:

Step 1: Enter the pathway

Innovators submit their ideas through the Pathway entry form, designed to streamline the initial engagement process.

Step 2: We review your information

We review each innovator's entry and provide a tailored response. Responses could range from initial advice to next-step recommendations or a request for clarification.

Step 3: We meet with you

Where more in-depth engagement and/or advice is required, we will meet with innovators to clarify their needs, regulatory questions and potential next steps. This helps achieve mutual understanding of the challenges and opportunities.

Step 4: Project presentation

Additional support will be offered as part of a trial regulatory programme to selected participants who enter the Pathway by 18 October 2024.

We will invite innovators we identify as likely to benefit from additional support to present their projects to the Electricity Authority and other industry stakeholders, to have deeper conversations about the project’s potential.

Step 5: Trial

High-value and/or highly feasible innovations will proceed to real-world trials, receiving additional mentoring and guidance to support their success.

This additional support is part of a trial regulatory programme offered to selected participants who enter the Pathway by 18 October 2024.

System visual
Visualisation pathway

Meet the energy system

We will help clarify the relationships important to your success.

Enter the Pathway

Queries or feedback?

Contact us at innovate@ea.govt.nz