The Regional Energy Transition Accelerator (RETA) Map is an interactive tool that is a visual representation of important demand and supply side energy sites, with a regional focus. Maintained by EECA (the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority), it also provides a broad, visual picture of future energy requirements. Together, this information enables analysis of region-specific needs, opportunities, and barriers.
About the data
The data was collected as part of EECA’s Energy Transition Accelerator (ETA) and Regional Energy Transition Accelerator (RETA) programmes from a range of private and publicly available datasets including electricity distribution businesses, Transpower, forestry, sawmills, and process heat users.
The ETA programme collected data relating to site location, fuel consumption, and fuel type, for the largest emitting businesses in New Zealand.
The tool uses the combined data to show the regional boundaries, electrical capacity and requirements, biomass capacity and requirements, forestry, sawmills, and GXP and substation information.
Note: The map is based on datasets collected throughout the RETA process as of December 2023. EECA is completing the remaining North Island regions to gain a full picture of New Zealand’s energy and resource requirements.
How to use this tool
- Basic map tools: search bar, zoom, home, previous extent.
- On the far left, toggle layers on and off in ‘Map Layers’ by clicking the small square to the right of the layers name.
- On the far left, the ‘Legend’ shows confirmed v unconfirmed projects, Peak Electrical Decarbonisation Demand, and the Region/Lines Company Boundary
- On the far right, these buttons will take you to the ‘About’ Page, and EECA’s RETA Home page.
- With the legend on the far right, you can pan and zoom to a specific region by toggling the button to the right of the regions name. Reset regions at the bottom.
- You can click on the icons of the map to gain a more detailed description.
The tool will be delivered in two stages:
Phase 1: This first iteration is supported by some existing datasets to indicate regional boundaries, potential biomass consumption, electrical peak demand, and substation and GXP capacity. These were taken at the time of the RETA process (the ‘basic spatial’ approach), filling current gaps in the network.
Phase 2: A more comprehensive roadmap will be developed, pulling together key datasets of New Zealand’s future potential energy system as more regions are completed.
RETA information workstreams
Data stream |
Process of gathering information |
Credit |
| Peak Electrical Decarbonisation Demand (MW) | RETA – Demand assessment workstream | RETA Demand assessment workstream leads |
| Biomass Centric Demand (tonnes) | RETA – Demand assessment workstream | |
| MAC Optimal Electrical Load (MW) | RETA – Pathway modelling calculations | EECA/RETA - Report writing workstream |
| MAC Optimal Biomass Demand (tonnes) | RETA – Pathway modelling calculations | EECA/RETA - Report writing workstream |
| GXP/Transmission line information | RETA – Electricity workstream | Transpower |
| Zone Substation information | RETA – Electricity workstream | Regional EDB’s |
| Wood Processors | RETA – Bioenergy workstream | RETA Bioenergy workstream leads |
| Forestry information | RETA – Bioenergy workstream | RETA Bioenergy workstream leads |
| Regional boundaries |
Release notes
Keep up to date on new data releases through the EECA Newsletter and check the website frequently for updates.
- Version 1 (Current) of the RETA Map released on the 20th of February 2024.
- All South Island regions are included for the initial launch.
- Work has started on expanding coverage to the North Island regions, it is expected that they will be added and completed by the end of the 2024 calendar year.
If you have any suggestions or feedback on how to improve this, please email business@eeca.govt.nz with the subject line "RETA Map".
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 New Zealand License(external link).
The RETA Map is brought to you by EECA Insights.