
26 June 2026
Nicky McLean
By email:
[FYI request #34829 email]
Tēnā koe Nicky
Your request
Thank you for your request, received on 1 June 2026, under the Of icial Information Act 1982 (Act)
for the following information:
Via your organisation's web site Metered data some seven sub-directories give links to files
containing data on the half-hourly generation and consumption of electricity at many places
across the country, all grouped into monthly files. These data files contain hundreds of data
series, with identifying name codes for each.
But suddenly, the data files for April no longer contained data for series that had been
supplied in March, and for many months previously:
File 202604_Reactive_power.csv omitted data for names
LTN2201.MRPL.GG.MRPL.kVArh.N.F (e.g. March 1-17)
LTN2201.MRPL.GG.MRPL.kVArh.N.I (e.g. March 18-31)
File 202604_Grid_export.csv omitted data for names STK0331.NELS.GN.TPNZ.kWh.X.F
STK0331.TASM.GN.TPNZ.kVArh.N.F
File 202604_Embedded_generation.csv omitted data for names
ATI2201.MRPL.HNET.DEF.X MAT1101.BOPD.HNET.DEF.X WKM2201.TUAR.HNET.DEF.X
STK0661.TASM.CNIR.COBB.I STK0661.TASM.CNIR.COBB.X
MHO0331.ELEC.KING.MHO1.I MHO0331.ELEC.KING.MHO1.X And by contrast, some
three dozen new data series appeared, with names from MHO0331.ELEC.CTCS.1.X to
MHO0331.ELEC.WISE.1.X, all featuring the new name code part of 1 (the digit one, not I nor
l) of unknown significance. For instance, guesswork: MHO0331.ELEC.KING.1.I and
MHO0331.ELEC.KING.1.X might be related to the last two in the above list, but, all their
values for April are zero.
My request is that you please supply the data for the omitted data series.
The presumption is that the associated entities continue to operate rather than vanish with
March, and so data for their operation should continue to be supplied. It would be good to
have definite identification of these entities, thereby facilitating searches of news media for
reports of changes, for example. If there are changes.
Alternatively, data for them are being supplied, but under different name codes and possibly
in different data files. If so, what might they be?
Or, data for those omitted series might be assimilated into the data being supplied for other
series: if so, which?
Our response
For ease, I wil respond to your request one part at a time
As a first point, the seven datasets you referred to are a legacy collection (loosely referred to as
the ‘metered data collection), which wil be discontinued when the Electricity Authority Te Mana
Hiko (Authority) has a reliable and appropriately documented replacement. In the meantime, we
continue to collect and publish this data, on a best endeavours basis, as a courtesy to those who
may have been using it for some time. The data is not used internally by the Authority.
Via your organisation's web site Metered Data some seven sub-directories give links to files
containing data on the half-hourly generation and consumption of electricity at many places
across the country, all grouped into monthly files. These data files contain hundreds of data
series, with identifying name codes for each.
File 202604_Reactive_power.csv omitted data for names
LTN2201.MRPL.GG.MRPL.kVArh.N.F (e.g. March 1-17)
LTN2201.MRPL.GG.MRPL.kVArh.N.I (e.g. March 18-31)
These series were not included with the source data provided to the Authority. We have contacted
Transpower to understand the omission, and they informed us that they no longer receive the data
from Mercury they used to prepare that dataset.
File 202604_Grid_export.csv omitted data for names STK0331.NELS.GN.TPNZ.kWh.X.F
STK0331.TASM.GN.TPNZ.kVArh.N.F
The NELS network was absorbed into TASM at STK0331, effective April 2026.
File 202604_Embedded_generation.csv omitted data for names
ATI2201.MRPL.HNET.DEF.X MAT1101.BOPD.HNET.DEF.X WKM2201.TUAR.HNET.DEF.X
STK0661.TASM.CNIR.COBB.I STK0661.TASM.CNIR.COBB.X
MHO0331.ELEC.KING.MHO1.I MHO0331.ELEC.KING.MHO1.X And by contrast, some
three dozen new data series appeared, with names from MHO0331.ELEC.CTCS.1.X to
MHO0331.ELEC.WISE.1.X, all featuring the new name code part of 1 (the digit one, not I nor
l) of unknown significance. For instance, guesswork: MHO0331.ELEC.KING.1.I and
MHO0331.ELEC.KING.1.X might be related to the last two in the above list, but, all their
values for April are zero.
The datafile in question has a header as il ustrated below. The “name code” you refer to is the Loss
Code and this is allocated by the distributor. Distributors can change these and often do so
effective April 1 as distribution prices and strategies are implemented. Distribution companies are
required to publish these codes each year. In this instance, you can go to
Electra (Nwk_Code =
‘ELEC’) to see what their codes represent.
Distributed generation of more than 10MW is required to have an independent loss code and can
often be (manually) mapped to a particular plant. Grid connected injection/offtake has no loss code
associated with it.
My request is that you please supply the data for the omitted data series.
The presumption is that the associated entities continue to operate rather than vanish with
March, and so data for their operation should continue to be supplied. It would be good to
have definite identification of these entities, thereby facilitating searches of news media for
reports of changes, for example. If there are changes.
Alternatively, data for them are being supplied, but under different name codes and possibly
in different data files. If so, what might they be?
As noted above, loss codes can change, these series probably have not stopped, as you have
noted, but they may now be listed under different codes. Also there have been significant
ownership changes around the Stoke (Tasman/Nelson) network, likewise with trader participants,
e.g. HNET (Hunet) mentioned in your list above have now
fully merged into Nova. These series
start and stop as the market evolves. Manually reconnecting the series or providing definite
identification of the entities listed is not something the Authority intends to do – as advised
previously this dataset, which is relatively un-curated, is only provided for external use out of
courtesy to historic users.
Your request to supply the omit ed data series is refused under section 18(e) of the Act – the data
you have requested does not exist.
Your request to identify the unknown name codes is refused under Section 18(f) of the Act, as the
information requested cannot be made available without substantial collation and research, which
would unreasonably impact on the other operations of the Authority.
I am satisfied, in terms of section 9(1) of the Act, that the need to withhold the information referred
to above is not outweighed by other considerations that render it desirable, in the public interest, to
make the information available.
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. Al personal data, including your name and contact
details, wil 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
Document Outline
- Official Information Act request received by the Electricity Authority
- Request for missing data from ‘Metered Data’ dashboard
- Request
- Background
- Information being released
- Legal Rationale
- Consultation/Transfer
- Communications/Risks
- The Authority does not anticipate any media interest in the release of this information.
- Publication