Counties Energy celebrates centenary

Lines company Counties Energy celebrated its centenary on the weekend (Sunday March 24).

The Pukekohe event was attended by more than 250 people, including elected representatives, community partners and past and current employees.

Counties Energy has an extensive electricity network in the southern Auckland and northern Waikato region.

“Serving our community since 1924, a lot has changed about the way we provide and consume energy,” says Counties Energy chief executive Judy Nicholl.

“Be it changes in legislation, governance, technology or demand, our journey has shaped who we are today, and who we’ll become to best serve our customers tomorrow.

“We aim to keep innovating and striving to meet these ever-changing needs across the next 100 years.”

Nicholl says the centenary celebration is not only a tribute to past achievements, the dedication and hard work of the team and the continued support of customers, partners, the board and the Counties Energy Trust, but also a testament to Counties Energy’s commitment to innovate and change, work sustainably and drive the future of energy in the region and beyond.

“Counties Energy is more than just power – we’re a technology and energy business that is diversifying into e-mobility solutions such as OpenLoop, distributed energy resources and more,” she says. 

Now serving nearly 50,000 customers, with an asset base of $577 million spreading from the Awhitu Peninsula across to the Firth of Thames and down to Mercer, the network incorporates the rapidly growing southern Auckland areas of Papakura, Drury, Karaka and surrounding areas. 

The company continues to invest heavily in the network, $72m in 2023, to supply the infrastructure, capacity and solutions required for the region’s homes, farms and businesses to thrive.

Counties Energy Trust chair Christine Rupp says from humble beginnings as Franklin Electric Power Board in 1924 to Counties Power in 1993 and now Counties Energy, the company is a trusted and respected partner and essential services provider within the community. 

The lunch event featured speeches from Port Waikato MP Andrew Bayly, Counties Energy board chair Keith Watson, Rupp, Nicholl and a retrospective video of County’s Energy’s journey over the past 100 years, including where the company is heading as it adapts (including transitioning to a distributed systems operator) with a rapidly changing energy industry.

 Counties Energy has a portfolio of investments in innovative energy solutions that contribute towards New Zealand’s decarbonisation goals and has developed an end-to-end e-mobility software platform and related mobile app – OpenLoop. Click here for more information