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Northland has a great reputation as a place where the pace of life is just a bit more laid back. The hustle and bustle – the big city stresses – seem to just drift away the more you drive North. But, don’t be fooled by the feeling of calm that washes over you as make your way around Whangārei and its coastal surrounds. This is no sleepy backwater. In fact, big things are happening in the Northland neck of the woods – things that are set to be transformational to the region’s power future.
At the heart of this push toward Northland’s new energy future is Northpower. Northpower’s electricity network spans the Whangārei and Kaipara districts, providing residential and business customers with a safe, secure, and reliable electricity distribution service. That said, Northpower is by no means a business to sit happily in the ‘status quo’ comfort zone. Their focus is firmly on the future – something clearly evident in the recent update to their Asset Management Plan.
The change is necessary, and driven by what’s happening at a national level, says Northpower’s COO Network, Josie Boyd: “New Zealand is entering a period of change as we look to decarbonise and electrify our economy. We are seeing technologies such as solar pv, battery storage, and electric vehicles become mainstream, as the costs of these options decrease. It is an exciting time and electricity distribution networks, like Northpower, are a big part of this change.”
Boyd adds that the updates to Northpower’s Asset Management Plan (AMP) are a reflection of this evolving energy environment: “What we’ve set out in the AMP clearly signals our intention for managing our electricity network assets over the next 10 years. It outlines how we will invest to maintain our assets, allow for growth, and transform our network to meet the changing needs of our consumer owners.”
Such change, however, comes with the need for investment. Northpower is committed on this front, both in terms of asset upgrade/renewal, and growth of its team to ensure they meet the needs of the Whangārei and Kaipara communities. The business forecasts that total expenditure over the next decade will be in the region of $718 million.
“It’s an exciting time for Northpower as we plan for both a significant increase in the replacement and upgrading of existing aging assets and prepare for a more electrified future. We’re excited to have new roles available and look forward to welcoming people to our team,” says Boyd.
Northpower is already underway with making positive noise in the recruitment market, recently activating an attracting campaign appealing to energy professionals to join the team. The business says they obviously want to build out the depth of ability and expertise across their team, but they’re also eager to attract people who will get fully on board with their future intentions. “Our vision for the future is one where our electricity network not only provides a safe and reliable link to existing energy sources, but also helps our customers to unlock more flexibility, innovative solutions, and cost-effective services.”
There is no denying the fact that Northpower presents an attractive proposition to those looking for new career challenge, growth…and let’s not forget the enviable quality of life that can come with relocation to Northland. There are multiple roles on offer, including asset strategy engineers, maintenance engineers, renewables engineers and future networks engineer.
Anyone interested in learning more about current opportunities at Northpower should visit https://northpower.com/network-opportunities