ENERGY

Renewable Energy: Wind Farms (National)

Meridian, Contact, Genesis, Mercury (NZX-listed gentailers) · National / Multi-region

Grid-scale wind built by the listed gentailers, tracked as a portfolio rather than one scheme. Operating: West Wind (142.6MW), Turitea (222MW), Harapaki (176MW, $448m) and Kaiwera Downs, which reached its full 198MW across 46 turbines when Mercury opened Stage 2 in September 2026, making it the South Island's largest. Stage 2 added 36 turbines and 155MW for $486m. The gentailer builds still under way are tracked here as their own entries: Kaiwaikawe and Mahinerangi Stage 2. The NZ Wind Energy Association counts 1,265MW operating across 21 farms at December 2025.

Strongest delivery signals Data: Medium

Delivery Confidence Score, 0 to 100, higher is better: a ranking of how strong this project's delivery signals are, not a probability. It blends eight factors, including the election risk and policy alignment shown below.

Breakdown▾

Data current as at 16 Sept 2026, when the pipeline was last checked against its source.

Key facts

Region: National / Multi-region
Sector: Energy
Status: Under Construction
Estimated value: Value TBC
Indicative completion: TBC
Funding status: Fully Funded
Lead organisation: Meridian, Contact, Genesis, Mercury (NZX-listed gentailers)
Election risk: Safe

Election risk assessment

Market-driven renewable energy investment. Commercially funded. Fast RMA consent pathway exists.

Government priority alignment

HIGH: Fast-tracked renewable generation, a strong government energy priority.

Recent changes

2026-W37Info Owner: Various (Meridian, Contact, Genesis, Mercury) → Meridian, Contact, Genesis, Mercury (NZX-listed gentailers).

Chronology

2009WestWind (142MW, Makara Wellington) opens: NZ's largest wind farm at the time
2018Turitea Wind Farm (Manawatū, 222MW) consented after long legal process
2020Harapaki Wind Farm (Hawke's Bay, 176MW) resource consent granted
2021Turitea construction begins
2023Turitea fully operational (222MW, Mercury)
2024Harapaki operational (176MW, Hawke's Bay, Meridian). Kaiwera Downs Phase 2 in construction (155MW, Mercury)
2025Contact's ~380MW Southland (Slopedown) wind farm declined in March. NZ Wind Energy Association counts 1,265MW of operating onshore wind across 21 farms at December
2026Contact's Southland wind farm approved under the Fast-track Approvals Act (April); no final investment decision taken
2026Mercury opens Kaiwera Downs Stage 2 (9 September), taking the farm to 198MW across 46 turbines and about 675GWh a year. Stage 1 had been commissioned in November 2023

Source

Meridian Energy: West Wind ↗ · Meridian Energy: Harapaki ↗ · Mercury: Turitea Wind Farm ↗ · Mercury: Kaiwera Downs Wind Farm ↗ · NZ Wind Energy Association: operating onshore wind farms ↗ · NZ Wind Energy Association: onshore wind farm pipeline ↗

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