Murray Popenhagen, Managing Director
Murray has worked in the electricity supply industry for over 35 years.
Murray commenced with the Timaru Municipal Electricity Department in 1969 where he completed NZCE (Heavy Electrical) before taking a design role in the department’s overhead-underground conversion programme.
During this time Murray carried out design work on heavy cable installation between zone substations, design of ground level and underground distribution substations, design of EHV and LV reticulation systems and street lighting in the inner commercial area and suburban areas of Timaru.
In 1978 Murray moved to a new position with the Ashburton Electric Power Board (later Electricity Ashburton) to lead the overhead lines design and construction section. Responsible for all of the sub-transmission, distribution and individual customer supply design and construction, Murray had a team of 30 to 40 staff to involved in network installation along with the overhead maintenance and faults aspects of the company’s operations.
With a view to gaining commercial experience Murray moved to Queenstown in 1988 to take up the position of Area Manager with the Otago Central Electric Power Board. In this capacity he was responsible for 30 to 40 staff involved in all aspects of electric power supply. This role included:
- day-to-day management of a diverse overhead and underground reticulation network
- maintenance and faults on the network
- management of system control, electrical inspectors, power accounts section, two small generating stations and a busy electrical appliance and repairs outlet.
Latterly a large part of Murray’s role involved project management for the design and installation of network capital and maintenance projects, urban and rural subdivisions, major developments and individual supply extensions.
Following Government legislative changes in 1998 and the sale of Central Electric to Aurora Energy in early 1999, management and engineering positions within Central Otago were largely down-scaled and centralised. At this time, Murray commenced planning a new private company that would specialise in the provision of a customer-focused power supply design and installation service that would become Peak Power Distribution Limited.
