Power companies face pressure to offer ‘super-peak’ hedge product

Contracts to ease the impact of sudden electricity price spikes will become more available. (Image: NZME)

Tue, 19 Aug 2025

The Electricity Authority has abandoned an experiment in voluntary trading of “super-peak” wholesale electricity hedge contracts after just seven months.Instead, the regulator has determined that the four biggest electricity generator-retailers will be required from mid-2026 to offer “minimum quantities” of super-peak hedge contracts. If that doesn’t work, the sector may face regulation.Since their launch in January this year, the Electricity Authority (EA) says there have been 147 trades equating to 109 gigawatt h...

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