Consenting improvements for renewable electricity generation and electricity networks

About the consultation

As part of its Resource Management reform programme, the Government is consulting on 3 national direction packages. Package 1: Infrastructure and Development includes proposed amendments to:

• the national policy statement for renewable electricity generation (NPS-REG), 
• the national policy statement on electricity transmission (NPS-ET) – which is proposed to expand in scope to include electricity distribution networks, and 
• national environmental standards for electricity transmission activities (NES-ETA) (which includes new proposals for EV charging standards and an expanded scope to include electricity distribution). 

Stronger national direction for energy and supporting infrastructure is a key pillar of the Government’s Electrify NZ programme. 

The revised NPS-REG and proposed new NPS-Electricity Networks support a more enabling consenting framework and better recognise the role of renewable energy in meeting New Zealand’s climate change goals. 

The NES proposals would reduce the number of consents needed for transmission and distribution activities. The NES proposals also include EV charging standards, which would create a ‘no consents’ regime for the commissioning of certain EV charging stations. 

Following public consultation, MBIE and MfE will analyse the submissions and undertake further work to develop recommendations to the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform and Minister for Energy.

Find out more

General information about the programme 

Consultation on updating RMA national direction(external link) — Ministry for the Environment

Package 1 and package 2 

Infrastructure, development and primary sector national direction(external link) — Ministry for the Environment

Package 3

Freshwater national direction(external link) — Ministry for the Environment