Contact Energy has filed resource consent applications for a $1 billion wind farm on farmland south of Port Waikato.
Hauauru ma raki would produce 540 megawatts, or enough electricity to power around 200,000 houses, the company said.
Applications for the wind farm, on 17,000 hectares of land, were filed with Environment Waikato, the Franklin District Council and the Waikato District Council.
"Located close to the major electricity demand centres of Auckland and Hamilton, Hauauru ma raki will make an important contribution to national electricity supplies, and minimise losses associated with transmission of electricity from one end of the country to another," said Contact Energy chief executive, David Baldwin.
Contact extended its consultation with landowners whose properties the transmission line will cross to connect the wind farm to the national grid, meaning it took longer than expected to file the consent application.
First electricity is expected from the wind farm in 2012/2013, and construction is expected to be finished in 2015/16.
Contact is developing other wind projects totalling up to 300MW.
