Celebrating 100 Years of Serving the Community
We’ve reached a significant milestone this year, celebrating our centenary with a grand event attended by over 250 guests. The guest list included elected representatives, iwi, community partners and both past and present employees. The celebration honoured a century of providing safe and reliable electricity to the southern Auckland and northern Waikato regions.
The event featured speeches from notable figures such as Hon. Andrew Bayly, MP for Port Waikato; Counties Energy Board Chair Keith Watson; Counties Energy Trust Chair Christine Rupp; and Counties Energy Chief Executive Judy Nicholl. Judy expressed her pride in reaching this milestone, “We’re thrilled to commemorate this centennial year, and we honour the dedicated men and women who helped build this network and support our community over the past 100 years. We’ve seen tremendous changes in the energy landscape, from evolving technology and regulatory frameworks to changing consumer demands, our journey has continuously adapted to meet these shifts. We’re committed to innovation as we move into the next hundred years.”
A retrospective video showcased the company’s transformation over the past century, highlighting its evolution and how it plans to address future energy challenges.
The lunch event was also an opportunity for attendees to learn about the company’s future plans. Counties Energy is transitioning to a distributed systems operator (DSO) and is heavily investing in innovative energy solutions to support Aotearoa New Zealand’s decarbonisation goals. It has developed an end-to-end e-mobility software platform and a mobile app called OpenLoop, demonstrating its commitment to a low-carbon future.
Counties Energy started from humble beginnings but has grown into a reliable and innovative partner for our community. From Franklin Electric Power Board in 1924 to Counties Power in 1993, ultimately becoming Counties Energy in 2021. Serving nearly 50,000 customers and with an asset base of $577 million, Counties Energy continues to invest in network infrastructure. This investment supports the growing needs of homes, farms, and businesses in the region. Looking ahead, Counties Energy aims to continue leading the way in energy innovation and contribute to a more sustainable future for everyone. Learn more about the centenary celebration and see photos and video links from the event here: Counties Energy Centenary 2024 – Counties Energy