Grid architecture · the shift

Electricity flow — today vs 2030.

Centralised, one-way generation gives way to cellular, bidirectional balancing. The same electrons, but the network stops being a fat one-way pipe and becomes a resilient mesh.

Today — Centralised one direction · sized for peak
Hydro Gas plant Coal Large central generators (Transpower) SUB- STATION Step-down DISTRIBUTION LINES Consumers (passive) CONSUME ONLY

Flow: one direction only →

Fat pipes sized for worst-case peak demand.

$12–14B planned network capex (SEANZ)

Sized for one-way peak demand — built once, rarely fully utilised.

2030 — Cellular multi-directional · sized for net residual
Solar suburb Mixed neighbourhood Industrial · EV hub grid grid SCHOOL BATTERY Neighbourhood Local balancing first BATTERY Neighbourhood Local balancing first FACTORY EV EV BATTERY Neighbourhood Local balancing first

Network capex avoided through distributed balancing

Most electrons balance within the neighbourhood — the grid carries only the residual.

Flow: multi-directional, peer-to-peer and to / from grid ⇄

Thin pipes — sized for net residual, not worst-case peak.