Unison owns and manages the electricity lines network in the Hawke's Bay, Rotorua and Taupō regions.

[3] The Unison subtransmission and distribution network is supplied from the national grid via Transpower substations.

Unison reported the normalised performance of the network for the 2014/15 year as follows:[1] Early in the twentieth century, electricity generation and distribution was managed by local councils or municipal departments.

An electricity network was established in Hastings in 1912, with a power house in Eastbourne Street.

Following changes to national legislation, the Hawke's Bay Electric Power Board was formed in 1924.