Ara Ake sponsors Innovation in Energy Award
26 Nov 2025We welcome Ara Ake as category sponsor of the Innovation in Energy Award for 2026. Ara Ake was launched in 2020 to help energy innovators in New Zealand to develop and commercialise. It offers a range of services, facilitates its own projects, and provides resources and guidance.
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Ngākau Hihiko sponsors FutureForce Award
24 Nov 2025We welcome Ngākau Hihiko as category sponsor of the FutureForce Award for 2026. Ngākau Hihiko - Wāhine in Energy is a network that supports and connects wāhine, from the shop floor to the C-Suite across the energy sector. Its vision is to amplify diverse voices, and guide the next generation of leadership.
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Request your entry forms
13 Nov 2025We're excited to announce that entry forms for the 2026 New Zealand Energy Excellence Awards are now available. If your organisation has delivered exceptional projects or demonstrated leadership in shaping the energy future, this is your opportunity to shine. Request your entry form today and join us in recognising the best in the industry. Key dates
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Announcing the 2026 date and venue
4 Nov 2025We are thrilled to announce that the next New Zealand Energy Excellence Awards will be held on Wednesday 19 August 2026 at Tākina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre - in the heart of New Zealand's capital and a stunning venue for celebrating innovation and leadership across the energy sector. This prestigious black-tie gala brings together industry leaders, innovators, and changemakers to honour outstanding achievements in the energy sector.
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2025 Energy Award winners
14 Aug 2025More than 650 guests attended the 15th annual awards dinner held for the first time at Tākina Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wellington Wednesday 13 August. Harsharan Singh, judging panel chair and operations manager for Ventia's energy networks and renewables business, commended all the firms that participated in this year's event. He said their entries showed what happens when people work together, think long-term, and care about the wider outcomes of what they do. He urged firms to keep telling their stories.
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AWARDS FINALIST: Jeremy MacIver – Commercialising renewables at Contact
8 Aug 2025Jeremy MacIver, head of commercial at Contact Energy, has been instrumental in some of the country's most significant energy deals. He played a lead role negotiating the landmark 2024 electricity supply agreements with New Zealand Aluminium Smelters. These complex, multi-year negotiations resulted in the company committing to retain the Tiwai Point operation for up to 20 years - a milestone for the energy sector and the wider economy.
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AWARDS FINALIST: Soumya Doar's transformational leadership at Ergo Consulting
7 Aug 2025Soumya Doar has expanded Ergo Consulting's power systems team in size, technical capability and revenue during the past three years in her role as head of power systems. A member of Ergo's senior leadership team, Doar has played a leading role in shaping and implementing company-wide goals and driving the department's growth, while maintaining a high-performing but enjoyable and inclusive working environment.
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AWARDS FINALIST: Yanosh Irani – driving data to boost generation at Meridian
6 Aug 2025Meridian Energy says Yanosh Irani is driving a new era of innovation and performance for the company. At 35, Irani is the youngest member of the company's generation leadership team. As head of data and performance, he's transforming how New Zealand's largest renewable generator uses data to make smarter decisions, boost generation and future-proof its operations.
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AWARDS FINALIST: Fonterra and Transpower – Decarbonisation breakthrough at Edendale
5 Aug 2025In mid-2023, Fonterra's Edendale site faced an urgent requirement to replace steam processing capacity due to the condition of two of its four coal boilers. To deliver an electric replacement in the timeframe needed, Fonterra entered into a bold collaboration with Transpower and PowerNet. The centrepiece of the project was the installation of Fonterra's first 20-megawatt electrode boiler. But delivering it in time required a leap in innovation: a SCADA-based Special Protection Scheme (SPS) capable of responding to grid instability within four seconds.
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AWARDS FINALIST: James Irvine – Leading renewables for Clarus
31 Jul 2025When James Irvine joined Clarus in April 2022, the company's renewable energy ambitions were still largely theoretical. Three years later, he has delivered three significant renewable energy milestones and positioned Clarus as a national leader in the transition to biofuels. With no team, no blueprint and no precedent, Irvine first had to build the firm's new business division, First Renewables, from the ground up.
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