We have written an insights report including what we heard and the opportunities for New Zealand. Read our insights report here:
2024 study tour insights report
Some of the key insights from the study tour are:
- Less pilots and more deployment – somewhere, someone around the world has probably already done what you need. Find it, adapt it, and get on with it.
- Social licence is critical – we need to listen, involve, and start talking with (not to) consumers, and stop talking to ourselves.
- We need to work together – it is not a competition – this means more standardisation and interoperability for electricity distribution networks.
- Workforce – stop poaching and start growing our talent – we heard that some field staff in Australia can earn $180k per annum with overtime, and control room managers there can earn $250k per annum – and they are coming for our talent.
- Our future is data – we will not be in the business of poles and cables; data and its collection and management are our future.
ENA plans to hold a study tour every second year. So, 2026 will be the next opportunity for EDB staff to get involved.