Registrations are now open for the Future Networks Forum (FNF) Innovation Forum.
The Forum will be a hybrid event, so you can join us in person or online via Zoom, and you can register for both days or just one.
The FNF brings together representatives from lines companies across Aotearoa to harness the collective capability of the distribution sector and support New Zealand’s transition to a lower-emissions energy system. The Innovation Forum is an opportunity to hear what others across the sector — and beyond it — are working on, share lessons, and dig into some of the practical challenges facing future networks.
We’re still firming up the full agenda, but there is already a great mix of sessions lined up. Check it out in the agenda below.
Dates:
Tuesday 3 November and Wednesday 4 November 2026.
Where:
Te Wharewaka, 2 Taranaki Street, Wellington Central.
There is also the option to attend this event online via Teams.
Register
Registration costs are:
- In person: $180 per day
- Online: $55 per day
If you are from an EDB please go ahead and register using the link below. If you are not from a lines company, please email fnf@electricity.org.nz to request to attend.
Register for in-person and online attendance here .
Agenda: 3 November 2026
| Time | Title/description | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 09:30 - 10:00 | Registration and morning tea (30 min) | |
| 10:00 - 10:25 | Opening karakia and an update on FNF progress (25 min) | FNF Co-Chairs James Tipping General Manager Market Strategy & Regulation, Vector Andrew Kerr Chief Customer and Strategy Officer, Alpine Energy |
| 10:25 - 11:05 | Commerce Commission Open letter – Local lines networks: innovation and future network capability (40 mins) A look at the Commerce Commission’s Open letter – Local lines networks: achieving better outcomes for consumers now and in the future, with a focus on the innovation and future networks elements. The session will explore the Commission’s thinking on flexibility, digitalisation, network utilisation and DSO capability, and what this could mean for EDBs. |
Nathan Strong Associate Commissioner, Commerce Commission |
| 11:05 - 11:35 | Solar sector update: readiness, barriers and opportunities (30 mins) Hear from SEANZ on the current state of the solar market and priorities looking ahead to the election. The session will cover installer readiness, where EDBs can help enable solar uptake and SEANZ’s views on the Ministry for Regulation review. |
Gareth Williams COO, Sustainable Energy Association of New Zealand (SEANZ) |
| 11:35 - 12:25 | From managing solar to embracing DER: Ausgrid’s transformation (50 mins) Ausgrid will share its experience of the shift from solar being seen primarily as something networks needed to accommodate and manage, towards more actively embracing solar and the opportunities DER can provide for networks and customers. The session will focus on the organisational and cultural changes behind that shift, including leadership, ways of working, customer engagement and public perception. |
Yvonne Little CER Backstop Program Manager, Ausgrid |
| 12:25 - 13:20 | Lunch (55 min) | |
| 13:20 - 14:10 | Putting customer benefits at the heart of investment decisions: Auckland Transport's approach (50 mins) Auckland Transport (now Auckland Council) will share how it identifies and assesses customer benefits when developing investment business cases, including how putting customers at the heart of project design can influence project outcomes. The session will offer useful parallels for the electricity sector as EDBs consider how to better identify and demonstrate customer benefits in their own investment decisions. |
Kelly Skelton Head of Digital, Auckland Council Daniel Newcombe Project Development Lead, Auckland Council |
| 14:10 – 14:40 | Unlocking the value of demand flexibility: insights from EECA’s TIMES-NZ modelling (30 mins) EECA will share insights from its latest TIMES-NZ modelling on the potential value of demand flexibility in New Zealand’s energy system, including what the findings could mean for future demand, network planning and the role of flexibility. |
Gareth Gretton Lead Advisor, EECA Luke Searle Energy Systems Modeller, EECA |
| 14:40 – 15:10 | Dynamic Export Guidelines project (30 mins) An overview of the Vector, WEL Networks and SEANZ project, including why the work was initiated, the proposed scope and progress to date. |
Monica Choy Senior Regulatory and Pricing Partner, Vector Matthew Whitmore NIP Engineering Team Leader, WEL Networks |
| 15:10 - 15:30 | Stretch break and afternoon tea (20 min) | |
| 15:30 - 16:10 | Flexible connections and customer benefits: insights from Counties Energy’s GridEx platform (40 mins) Counties Energy will share its work on Flexible Connections enabled through the recently launched Gridex platform, including how the approach can help customers connect sooner, make better use of existing network capacity, and reduce the need for costly network upgrades. |
Moonis Vegdani Group Chief Strategy & Transformation, Counties Energy Astad Kapadia Head of DSO Strategy, Counties Energy |
| 16:10 - 16:50 | Powerco’s DSO journey: accelerating new capabilities through INTSA (40 mins) Powerco will share its recently approved INTSA programme to accelerate its transition towards becoming a Distribution System Operator, including the capabilities it is looking to develop, the customer and network outcomes it is targeting, and the opportunities for wider sector learning. |
Ryno Verster DSO Programme Director, Powerco Bernie Coster DSO Programme Principal, Powerco Andrew Paynter DSO Senior Policy Lead, Powerco |
| 16:50 - 17:00 | Wrap-up and closing karakia (10 min) | FNF Co-Chairs James Tipping General Manager Market Strategy & Regulation, Vector Andrew Kerr Chief Customer and Strategy Officer, Alpine Energy |
| 17:00 | Event closes and social catch-up begins |
Agenda: 4 November
| Time | Title/description | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 08:15 - 08:45 | Registration (tea and coffee on arrival) (30 min) | |
| 08:45 - 08:55 | Opening karakia and welcome (15 min) | FNF Co-Chairs James Tipping General Manager Market Strategy & Regulation, Vector Andrew Kerr Chief Customer & Strategy Officer, Alpine Energy |
| 08:55 - 09:45 | Flexible connections for large customers: lessons from UK Power Networks (50 mins) UK Power Networks will share its experience developing and operating flexible connection arrangements for larger connection customers. The session will cover the types of flexible connections it offers, how these products were developed, and the key ingredients for success, including practical challenges and potential fish-hooks for EDBs considering similar approaches in New Zealand. |
Neil Madgwick Head of Connections Service Delivery, UK Power Networks |
| 09:45 - 10:00 | Reflections and discussion: Day 1 and UK Power Networks (15 mins) A chance to reflect on the key themes and takeaways from Day 1, followed by discussion of the UK Power Networks presentation on flexible connections. The session will draw out the most relevant lessons, questions and opportunities for New Zealand EDBs. |
FNF Co-Chairs |
| 10:00 - 10:40 | ENA and FNF work programme update (40 mins) An update on current ENA work programme priorities and key projects being progressed through the Future Networks Forum. The session will highlight recent activity, upcoming work and opportunities for FNF members to contribute. |
Richard Le Gros Policy & Innovation Manager, ENA |
| 10:40 – 11:00 | Morning tea (20 min) | |
| 11:00 – 11:20 | Draft Flexibility Playbook: practical guidance for using flexibility as a non-network solution (20 mins) Matt Smith from Vector will introduce the idea behind a Flexibility Playbook being developed collaboratively by Vector, Orion, Powerco and Aurora. The session will outline the intended scope of the work, including practical guidance on areas such as valuation, procurement approaches, product definitions, flexible connections and wider implementation considerations. |
Matt Smith Policy Advisor, Strategic Planning and Technology Integration, Vector |
| 11:20 – 12:00 | PowerNet’s congestion maps: supporting faster DG connections (40 min) PowerNet will share its new congestion maps, launched in May to support streamlined distributed generation applications. The session will cover how the maps are being used to give customers and installers better visibility of network constraints and support faster connection decisions. |
Daniel Duan Graduate Future Networks Engineer, PowerNet Dyson Gentle Future Networks Manager, PowerNet |
| 12:00 – 12:30 | Is Pricing the Final Frontier for Flexibility? (30 min) Wellington Electricity’s flexibility journey; from EV Connect and managed bus and ferry charging to flexible export limits for distributed generation and the role pricing could play in unlocking the customer value. |
Greg Skelton Chief Executive Officer, Wellington Electricity |
| 12:30 – 13:00 | Vector’s LV Network Lab: what does an actively managed low-voltage network need? (30 min) Vector will share its Suburb of the Future Stage 1: LV Network Lab project, which is testing the monitoring, control, communications and data capabilities needed to actively manage low-voltage networks as DER uptake grows. The session will explore what Vector is looking to learn from the trial and how those insights could inform future LV network investment and management. |
Steve Heinen General Manager, Asset Management and Network Planning, Vector James Tipping General Manager Market Strategy & Regulation, Vector |
| 13:00 – 13:10 | Wrap-up and closing karakia (10 min) | FNF Co-Chairs |
| 13:10 – 14:00 | Lunch (50 min) |