Let’s talk about your project

If you're planning a complex connection, or a utility-scale distributed generation (DG) project, such as large-scale solar, battery storage or wind generation, a pre-application meeting can help you understand your options before formally applying.

A pre-application meeting is typically a 30-minute discussion with our Connections Team to help you better understand connection options, requirements and potential constraints before submitting an application.

Depending on your project, we may be able to provide high-level information about:

• Available network capacity at your preferred location
• Whether network upgrades or reinforcement may be required
• Opportunities to use flexibility to improve connection options or reduce costs
• Whether your project may affect or be affected by the national grid (Transpower)
• Planned distribution or transmission network investments that may impact the site
• Our connection process, key documentation and expected timeframes
• Indicative cost ranges where appropriate
• How we recover study, design, capital and ongoing connection costs

While we'll provide as much guidance as possible, we can't provide detailed network studies, formal connection offers, customer capital contribution calculations or detailed cost estimates at this stage.

Any information discussed during a pre-application meeting is preliminary and may change as further assessments are completed. 

When should I request a meeting?

Most customers will find the information they need through our website resources or with support from their electrician, consultant or service provider.

However, we encourage early engagement if you're planning:

• Utility-scale solar, battery storage or wind generation
• Public charging infrastructure or large commercial EV charging projects
• New industrial or commercial connections greater than 1MW
• Subdivisions or major developments
• Other large or complex projects where you have flexibility around connection size, location or timing

If you're unsure whether a pre-application meeting would be helpful, complete our Network Enquiry Form or contact us on
0800 66 11 77.

We'll review your enquiry and contact you within 10 working days to discuss next steps and, where appropriate, arrange a meeting.

What we’ll need from you

To help us prepare for the meeting, please provide the following information in your Network Enquiry or email (mailbox@alpineenergy.co.nz) us the details at least three working days before the meeting. This helps us involve the right team members and prepare the most relevant information for your project.

The type and size of your project

• Location details, such as an address, ICP number or map
• Required import or export capacity
• Preferred connection voltage (if known)
• Any flexibility around location, capacity or timing
• Any specific questions or information you'd like covered during the meeting

Depending on the nature of your project, we may also discuss:

• Flexibility around load size, generation output or timing of electricity use
• Project structure, staging or funding arrangements where these may affect connection options or requirements 

What happens during the meeting

The meeting is an opportunity for us to better understand your project and for you to learn more about the network, connection process and potential options.

Discussion topics may include:

• The size, location and timing of your project
• Available network capacity
• Potential connection points
• Network constraints and opportunities
• Project and delivery timeframes
• Technical, regulatory or consenting considerations
• Dependencies on future network investment or Transpower infrastructure

Early discussions can sometimes identify alternative approaches that may:

• Reduce project costs
• Improve connection outcomes
• Avoid unnecessary delays
• Change the scope of network works required
• Improve the overall viability of your project 

What happens next?

Following the meeting, you'll have a clearer understanding of:

• The connection process and key milestones
• Who you'll be working with throughout the project
• Expected timeframes
• Potential connection options
• Factors that may influence expected project costs
• Whether further studies or investigations may be required

In some cases, additional studies or design work may be recommended before a formal application is submitted. Where this is the case, we'll discuss the scope, timing and any associated costs with you before proceeding.

Our team will also have a better understanding of your requirements and be better placed to support you through the connection process.

Important information

A pre-application meeting is intended to provide guidance and assist with early project planning.

As your project progresses, detailed network assessments, engineering studies, changing network conditions and other customer applications may affect the options, costs and timeframes discussed.

For this reason, information provided during a pre-application meeting should be treated as preliminary only and should not be relied upon for significant investment or commercial decision-making.

Any connection offer, pricing, capacity allocation or works agreement will be determined through the formal application process and may differ from information provided during the pre-application stage.

Not sure what a term means? View our Glossary.