Centralines

04/06/2026

We’re pleased to be moving ahead with construction of Hawke’s Bay’s first utility-scale solar farm, a joint venture with Lodestone Energy. ☀️

With approvals secured and early works getting underway, this is an important step toward building more locally generated electricity into our network - helping strengthen energy resilience for Central Hawke’s Bay.

This project is about delivering long-term value for our region, with power generated here for our community and the benefits staying in Central Hawke’s Bay through Centralines.
Project key stats:

• Enough to power around 7,000 homes
• 49,000 solar panels
• 31.5MWdc solar farm
• 49.6GWh generated annually
• Operational from late summer 2027

Read more: https://www.centralines.co.nz/news/construction-set-to-begin-on-hawke-s-bay-s-first-utility-scale-solar-farm/

📷: Lodestone GM Gary Holden and Centralines Chair Fenton Wilson signing off final approvals.

28/05/2026

From solar storms to system resilience, a great look at Industry Exercise 2026 from Transpower 👇

At Centralines, we were proud to take part alongside Unison and partners from across the country in this national space weather simulation.

Over two days, our teams worked through a fast-moving scenario to test our response plans, coordinating across operations, risk, customer and comms to protect our network and communities.

These exercises are a reminder that no one does this alone. Strong coordination, clear communication, and shared planning are what keep New Zealand’s electricity system resilient ⚡

Ngā mihi to everyone involved, great mahi across the sector!

20/05/2026

⚡ Calling all Central Hawke’s Bay Primary Schools! ⚡

Centralines is excited to invite your primary school to take part in our FREE ‘Power-Smart’ School Safety Programme 💡

This fun and interactive programme helps students learn:

✅ How electricity works

✅ How to stay safe around power lines and equipment

✅ What to do if they spot a hazard

✅ The importance of electrical safety in everyday life

Our sessions are designed for all primary school ages and learning abilities, making it a valuable (and enjoyable!) experience for every classroom.

🐾 And guess who’s coming along too?

Our friendly mascot Sparky will be there to help bring the safety messages to life and make the visit extra memorable!

We’re passionate about keeping our community safe and empowering tamariki with knowledge that could make a real difference.

📩 Get in touch with us today to book your visit and secure a spot for your school!

23/04/2026

Kia ora everyone,

Our crews have been out the last few days working in tough conditions as they strive to restore power where it is safe to do so.

The safety of our communities and our crews is paramount, and we’ve faced some extraordinary challenges with access issues and storm damage.

We have managed to restore most communities and expect to restore the remaining few customers by the end of the week. If you are experiencing an ongoing outage that has not yet been reported, please report it to our 24/7 Faults Team and we'll get on to it as soon as possible. You can reach us on 0800 NO POWER (0800 667 693).

Our thoughts are with everyone who is currently facing challenges as a result of the recent weather, including being without power.

We really want to send a big shout out to all our crews who have been weathering the storm – thanks team, we’re really grateful for all that you do for us on the frontline! We'd also like to acknowledge the families of our team.

A big thanks to all our communities for your continued support and patience at this time. 💚❤️

A reminder for more info about what you can do to prepare for unplanned outages, head to www.centralines.co.nz/beprepared

*Video courtesy of Wade Stoddart of one of our crews making repairs in Pōrangahau.

20/04/2026

Kia ora everyone,

MetService New Zealand has issued a Orange Heavy Rain Warning for Hawke's Bay south of Tutira so now’s the time to ensure you’re prepared.

Crews are out on the ground, with work being prioritised based on safety and the scale of damage. With the number of faults coming through, we won’t be able to respond to all outages at once, and restoration will take time. If you do experience an outage, please report it to our 24/7 Faults Team and we'll get on to it as soon as possible. You can reach us on 0800 NO POWER (0800 667 693).

Some of the roads in CHB are currently closed, making it difficult to access some sites. We are keeping an eye on Central Hawke's Bay District Council road closures and will be able to get to the sites as soon as it is safe.

For more info about what you can do to prepare for an unplanned outage, head to www.centralines.co.nz/beprepared

Take care out there and stay safe everyone! 💚❤️

12/04/2026

Kia ora koutou — Cyclone Vaianu is continuing to affect our communities, with strong winds and heavy rain causing power outages across Central Hawke’s Bay.

Our crews have been working in challenging conditions, restoring power where it has been safe to do so. With conditions expected to change overnight, including wind shifts, some customers may experience further outages, and we encourage people to be prepared to be without power overnight.

As darkness sets in, crews will stand down overnight to ensure their safety. We know being without power is disruptive and apologise for the inconvenience, however safety is our number one priority — for our communities and our crews. If you are currently without power, or if your power goes off overnight, it is unlikely to be restored this evening. Crews will be back out at first light to assess damage and reconnect customers as soon as it is safe.

⚠️ Please remember to treat all downed power lines as live and stay well clear.

For the latest outage information, please check our live outages page at www.centralines.co.nz/outages, or report faults by calling 0800 NO POWER (0800 667 693).

Please take care everyone 💚💚

09/04/2026

Kia ora everyone,

MetService New Zealand has issued strong wind watches and heavy rain for Cyclone Vaianu that's coming this Sunday.

Extreme weather can cause havoc on our network, so our crews are on stand-by across our regions in the event of any unplanned power outages. If you do experience an outage, please report it to our 24/7 Faults Team and we'll get on to it as soon as possible. You can reach us on 0800 NO POWER (0800 667 693) or report it online at www.centralines.co.nz/outages/

To help prevent damage to our power lines and power boxes make sure you secure all outdoor items that could become airborne, such as trampolines, bins and outdoor furniture.​

For more info about what you can do to prepare for an unplanned outage, head to www.centralines.co.nz/tell-me-about/safety/be-prepared-for-power-outages/

Take care out there and stay safe everyone! 💚❤️

Warnings Update - TROPICAL CYCLONE VAIANU ❗ 🌀

⚠️ 🟡 Strong Wind Watches for the North Island (Sat – Mon) 💨
⚠️ 🟡 Heavy Rain Watches for the North Island (Sat – Sun) 🌧️

As clarity in the forecast increases, it is highly likely that Severe Weather Warnings for both severe gales and heavy rain will be issued for regions expecting the worst of the weather. 🟠 🔴

More warning info: metservice.com/warnings

NZ Civil Defence

04/03/2026

☀️ Looking for a change? Like being outside in our awesome CHB environment? After a hands-on job with lots of variety? Want to be part of a great team?
We have career opportunities advertising now! Have a look at our current vacancies, here https://www.centralines.co.nz/tell-me-about/careers/

25/02/2026

💡Looking for trusted electricians in Central Hawke’s Bay? With over 30+ years electrical experience, Centralines is proud to be the go-to choice for electrical work in our community from new homes to renovations. Get in touch today!
📲 Give us a call today to discuss your project!
💻 Find out more here https://www.centralines.co.nz/electrical-work-done/

16/02/2026

Update: Afternoon, 17/02/26

Kia ora everyone, here’s a quick update following the recent severe weather 🌦️⛅

Our Centralines crews worked through the day and evening and were able to restore all areawide outages by late last night. Over the coming days, teams will continue cleanup and repairs for a small number of individual customer issues resulting from the storm.

We’d like to thank our customers for their understanding, and our crews for their hard work in challenging conditions ❤️💚

Please continue to check our website for the latest outage information: www.centralines.co.nz/outages

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Update: 4:00pm 16/02/26

Kia ora everyone, thanks so much for your patience today while our crews worked hard to restore power across multiple outages on our network ❤️💚

Thankfully the weather conditions are improving this afternoon, with Central Hawke’s Bay forecast to be clear of the worst of the system over the next few hours.

We’ve made good progress restoring power, however approximately 200 Centralines customers remain without power at this time.

Given the damage still being worked through, it’s likely that some customers will spend another night without power as our crews continue restoration efforts safely. If you’re currently affected, we recommend preparing for a night without power.

Thanks for your patience while our teams work through repairs. Please continue to check our website for the most upto date outage information: www.centralines.co.nz/outages

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Update: 1:00pm 16/02/26

We’ve had a busy night on the network and currently have around 900 customers without power, mainly across our rural areas.

Crews are out on the ground, with work being prioritised based on safety and the scale of damage. With the number of faults coming through, we won’t be able to respond to all outages at once, and restoration will take time.

We expect this to be an all‑day effort and may extend beyond tomorrow, as damage assessments are still coming in and new faults continue to be reported.

For the latest information and outage updates, please check our website – it’s where you'll find the most up‑to‑date details: centralines.co.nz/outages

Thanks for your patience while our teams work through this safely. Hang in there and stay safe! 💚❤️