as nzx cen industry electricity generation electricity retailing natural gas wholesaling natural gas retailing lpg retailing founded 1996 1996 headquarters wellington new zealand key people ralph norris chair dennis barnes chief executive revenue nz 2 163m 1 operating income nz 523m 1 profit nz 66m 1 total assets nz 5 652m 1 total equity nz 2 823m 1 number of employees 1 066 2 website www.contact.co.nz contact energy limited is a new zealand electricity generator natural gas wholesaler and electricity natural gas and lpg retailer . the company is the second largest electricity generator in new zealand after meridian energy generating 23 % of all electricity in 2014 and has the second largest market share 22 % of electricity retailers after genesis energy . 3 contact owns and operates twelve power stations in new zealand with a generation portfolio made up of geothermal hydro and natural gas assets . 4 contact energy s power stations consist of five gas turbine facilities in auckland hamilton hawkes bay and taranaki ; five geothermal stations north of taupo ; and two hydroelectric dams on the clutha river . contact originated with the partitioning of the electricity corporation of new zealand in 1996 and publicly listed in 1999 . contents 1 history 2 power stations 2.1 decommissioned stations 3 developments 3.1 generation developments 3.2 other developments 4 see also 5 references 6 external links history edit contact was incorporated on 8 november 1995 and became a state owned enterprise on 18 november 1995 . 5 contact commenced operations on 1 february 1996 acquiring assets from ecnz with a payment of 1.6 billion . 5 as the founding chief executive paul anthony was instrumental in establishing the corporation distinct from ecnz . in 1999 the company was sold with 40 % purchased by edison mission energy eme as cornerstone shareholder for 5 per share . the remaining 60 % was sold in a public offering of shares for 3.10 per share . 6 eme subsequently increased its shareholding to 51 % . as part of the 1999 electricity sector reforms local electricity companies were split into lines and retail with most selling the retail part off . contact energy acquired the retail bases of top energy counties power eastland network gisborne area unison hawke s bay area electra network tasman mainpower alpine energy aurora energy dunedin area the power company and electricity invercargill . following financial difficulties elsewhere in its business eme sold its shareholding to origin energy in 2004 . during the 2008 financial crisis contact decided to increase prices by up to 12 % while doubling its directors fees . as a result it lost more than 40 000 customers in six months 10 % of the total . its profit was halved . contact calls this the worst blow to its reputation in the company s history . 7 8 following financial difficulties elsewhere in its business origin sold its 53 % shareholding to the market in 2015 . 9 power stations edit contact owns and operates unless otherwise stated the following power stations name fuel type location capacity mw annual average generation gwh commissioned notes clyde hydroelectric conventional clyde otago 464 2050 1992 ohaaki geothermal flash steam ohaaki waikato 70 300 1989 poihipi geothermal flash steam wairakei waikato 55 350 1996 roxburgh hydroelectric conventional roxburgh otago 320 1610 1956 1962 stratford gas open cycle combined cycle turbine stratford taranaki 585 3350 1998 2010 te huka geothermal binary cycle taupo 23 2010 te mihi geothermal flash steam north of taupo 159 2014 te rapa gas open cycle turbine cogeneration te rapa waikato 44 200 2000 wairakei geothermal flash steam binary cycle wairakei waikato 161 1310 1958 2005 whirinaki diesel open cycle turbine whirinaki hawke s bay 155 9 2004 decommissioned stations edit name fuel type location capacity mw annual average generation gwh commissioned decommissioned notes otahuhu a gas open cycle turbine otahuhu auckland 1968 various otahuhu b gas combined cycle turbine otahuhu auckland 380 2380 2000 in 2001 contact decommissioned the ft4 twinpac open cycle power stations on the stratford and whirinaki sites and sold the generating equipment offshore . in june 2013 previously decommissioned new plymouth power station was sold to port taranaki and methanex new zealand . 10 developments edit generation developments edit contact energy development projects name fuel location proposed capacity mw status notes hawea hydro lake hawea otago 17 consents granted expect complete by 2017 11 tauhara stage 2 geothermal near taupo 250 consents granted waitahora wind puketoi ranges east of palmerston north 156 consents granted other developments edit in 2001 and 2002 contact and edison mission energy developed the valley power peaking facility near traralgon in australia . this plant was sold in 2005 . 12 in 2006 contact and genesis energy set up a joint venture project called gasbridge to import lng . 13 their proposed terminal at port taranaki was highly controversial and the plan was shelved in favour of an offshore terminal plan in mid 2009 . 14 contact and origin energy have developed a gas storage facility at the depleted ahuroa reservoir in taranaki . 15 in 2012 contact announced it would not proceed with hydro developments on the clutha river at queensbury luggate tuapeka and beaumont . 16 in june 2013 the taheke joint venture taheke 8c incorporated and contact energy made the decision to delay the development of the taheke geothermal field due to market conditions . in august 2013 contact announced its decision to exit the hau urum raki wind generation development on the waikato coast and that they would not proceed in the foreseeable future with the waitahora wind generation development project near dannevirke in the tararua district . see also edit electricity sector in new zealand new zealand electricity market references edit a b c d e annual report2016 pdf . contact energy . 18 august 2016 . 2016 macquarie conference pdf . contact energy . 5 may 2016 . energy in new zealand . ministry of business innovation and employment . august 2015 . power stations . contact energy . retrieved 6 october 2013 . a b annual report 1996 pdf . contact energy . 11 december 1996 . newberry sue april 2005 . electricity reforms and contact energy ltd . converge . bradley grant 15 august 2009 . director fee fallout hurts contact . nz herald . the market teaches contact a lesson after director s fees fiasco . nz energy & environment business week . 29 april 2009 . origin energy sale of contact completed pdf press release . contact energy . 5 august 2015 . rilkoff matt 14 june 2013 . land purchase powers port s big plans . taranaki daily news . ibbotson lucy 6 january 2012 . contact vies for more time to establish hydro scheme . otago daily times . contact energy announces sale of valley power stake press release . 31 august 2005 . retrieved 13 february 2011 . gasbridge preserving new zealand s future energy options pdf . gasbridge . 4 october 2006 . port lng proposal off table . taranaki daily news . 2 july 2009 . retrieved 10 may 2010 . contact energy opens 400 million development in taranaki press release . contact energy . 31 may 2011 . contact not proceeding with clutha development pdf press release . contact energy . 1 may 2012 . external links edit official website v t e electricity companies in new zealand generation contact energy genesis energy mercury energy meridian energy nova energy trustpower king country energy new zealand energy transmission transpower distribution north island centralines counties power eastland network electra horizon energy distribution northpower powerco scanpower the lines company top energy unison networks vector waipa networks wel networks wellington electricity south island alpine energy aurora energy buller electricity electricity ashburton electricity invercargill mainpower marlborough lines nelson electricity network tasman network waitaki orion otagonet joint venture the power company westpower retail contact energy ecotricity electra energy electric kiwi energy direct energy online genesis energy giving energy globug king country energy megaenergy mercury energy meridian energy nova energy opunake hydro p2power paua to the people payless energy powershop pulse energy tiny mighty power trustpower regulation and operation commerce commission electricity authority energy efficiency and conservation authority ministry of business innovation and employment transpower electricity sector in new zealand list of power stations in new zealand v t e nzx 50 companies of new zealand as of september 19 2016 a2 milk company air new zealand anz argosy property auckland international airport chorus coats contact energy ebos fisher & paykel healthcare fletcher building fonterra shareholders fund freightways genesis energy goodman property trust heartland bank infratil kathmandu kiwi property mainfreight mercury energy meridian energy metlifecare metro performance glass nuplex nzx new zealand refining orion health group port of tauranga precinct properties property for industry restaurant brands ryman healthcare scales skycity entertainment sky network television spark stride property summerset tower trade me trustpower vector vista vital healthcare property trust the warehouse westpac xero z energy former nzx 50 companies partial list affco amp apn news & media cavalier diligent corporation fisher & paykel appliances goodman fielder lion nathan michael hill oceanagold pacific edge pgg wrightson pike river coal pumpkin patch rakon skellerup steel & tube telstra tourism holdings retrieved from https en.wikipedia.org w index.php title contact energy & oldid 736802861 categories power companies of new zealand navigation menu personal tools not logged intalkcontributionscreate accountlog in namespaces article talk variants views read edit view history more search navigation main pagecontentsfeatured 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