7 November 2025
Spencer Jones
By email: [FYI request #32556 email]
Tēnā koe Spencer
Your request
Thank you for your request, received on 11 October 2025, under the Official Information Act 1982
(Act) for the following information:
Any internal briefings, policy advice, or technical assessments generated by the Electricity
Authority (or interagency correspondence with the Ministry of Business, Innovation &
Employment, Ministry of Health, Privacy Commissioner, or other relevant bodies) since 1
January 2024 regarding the MIND Act, including:
Assessments of its implications for NZ electricity infrastructure privacy standards or
neurotechnology regulation (e.g., potential impacts on smart meter data security or EMF
exposure limits).
Discussions on adopting similar safeguards for neural data in NZ (e.g., consent requirements
for data collection via smart meters or other networked devices, or enhanced security
protocols for neurotech integration).
Records of any studies, reports, or consultations commissioned or undertaken by the
Electricity Authority aimed at investigating privacy risks, health effects, or technical standards
for neural data collection via neurotech in relation to electricity infrastructure, including
summaries and findings (2015–2025). This includes any evaluations of smart meter or 5G
network interactions with neurotech devices.
Any advice papers or risk evaluations on the integration of neural data technologies with
existing NZ electricity infrastructure (e.g., smart meters, 5G-enabled grids), including cost-
benefit analyses or comparative risks to consumer privacy and health under NZS
2772.1:1999 or related standards.
Copies of correspondence between the Electricity Authority and US counterparts (e.g., FTC,
relevant energy regulators) or international bodies (e.g., International Electrotechnical
Commission, Five Eyes partners) relating to the MIND Act or global neural data governance
in the context of electricity networks.
Our response
Your request is refused under section 18(g) of the Act, as the information is not held by the
Electricity Authority Te Mana Hiko (Authority). Note that the Authority regulates meter accuracy
and certification, not non-ionising radiation. The Authority is not a scientific body, and we do not
conduct our own scientific research into the matters you have outlined.
IN-CONFIDENCE - COMMERCIAL
E L E C T R I C I T Y A U T H O R I T Y R E P O R T : R E Q U E S T F O R
There are resources online that may be of interest to you, such as this Ministry of Health report,
linked on the Authority’s website: Interagency Committee on the Health Effects of Non-ionising
Fields: Report to Ministers 2018
More information on non-ionising fields can be found on the Health New Zealand website:
https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/health-services-and-programmes/environmental-health/non-
ionising-radiation.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision.
Information about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
freephone 0800 802 602.
As this information may be of interest to other members of the public, the Authority may proactively
release a copy of this response on our website. All personal data, including your name and contact
details, will be removed before publication.
If you’d like to discuss this response with us, please feel free to contact us by emailing
[Electricity Authority request email].
Nāku noa, nā,
Airihi Mahuika
GM Legal, Monitoring and Compliance
IN-CONFIDENCE - COMMERCIAL
