Industry structure

The Orion network covers 8,000 square kilometres in central Canterbury between the Waimakariri and Rakaia rivers. For the financial year ending 31 March 2010, our network delivered 3,430GWh and supplied a maximum demand of 618MW.

What we do

As an electricity distributor, or lines company, we are responsible for constructing and maintaining an efficient and safe electricity network:

• we transport electricity from 10 Transpower grid exit points to more than 192,000 homes and businesses
• we charge electricity retailers for delivering that electricity. Electricity retailers then bundle up the charges for electricity generation, transmission, distribution and retailing, and invoice end users.

How electricity reaches you

Power usually moves through five steps to get from where it's generated to where it's needed. The steps below show how electricity is moved through the various stages to get to you.

Generation

Generators produce electricity. All electricity generated for retail purposes in New Zealand is sold into the wholesale electricity market for supply to electricity retailers. Several private and government-owned companies are generators - they include Contact Energy, Genesis Power, Meridian Energy, Mighty River Power, Todd Energy and TrustPower. Most generators are also electricity retailers.

Transmission

Transpower is the state-owned enterprise responsible for transmitting the electricity produced by generators. It operates the national grid of high voltage power lines and tall pylons that connects to the power stations to send electricity around the country.

Distribution

Also called lines companies or network companies, distributors own the lower voltage power lines and distribution networks in local areas. Distribution networks connect to the national grid to deliver power to businesses and homes.

Orion is one of 29 electricity distributors in New Zealand.

Retail

Sometimes referred to as power companies, electricity retailers purchase electricity from the wholesale market to sell to residential and business users.

Seven electricity retailers operate in central Canterbury - Contact Energy (including Empower), Genesis Power, Meridian Energy, Mercury Energy, Powershop, Simply Energy and TrustPower.

Customer usage

The last step in the process is providing power to your home or business. You can buy electricity from any retailer in your area.