Marlborough Lines is owned by the Marlborough Electric Power Trust, who hold the shares on behalf of the electricity consumers of Marlborough. In 2021 Marlborough Lines established Energy Marlborough to strategically develop renewable generation and drive sustainable energy solutions, which now extends to the use of New Zealand Energy Certificates (NZ-ECs) from BraveTrace. A key objective for Energy Marlborough is to own 50MW of renewable energy generation by 2030. With successful projects like its Taylor Pass Solar Farm (853 kW), the Seaview Solar Farm (4MW), and with Ward Solar Farm (9MW) currently under construction, Energy Marlborough is well on its way to achieving this goal and is strengthening its internal expertise and long-term renewable energy portfolio along the way.
To maximize the value of its renewable energy initiatives, Marlborough Lines has registered some of its generation assets with BraveTrace, enabling the sale of renewable energy certificates. This gives customers the option to purchase 100% renewable electricity through virtual attribution, allowing them to reduce their scope 2 reported emissions. It also creates an additional revenue stream that aligns with the company’s mission to return profits to customers and to continue reinvestment in further renewable projects. By leveraging BraveTrace’s certification platform (NZECS), Marlborough Lines can enhance financial sustainability while supporting community sponsorships, to which it already dedicates 1% of its network business revenue. This approach reinforces the company’s role as a leader in sustainable energy development while benefiting and supporting the wider Marlborough region.