Transpower chief executive Patrick Strange made an unscheduled appearance at the national conference of Federated Farmers in Auckland last week in a bid to clear up misinformation about proposed buffer zones around transmission lines.
The national electricity grid operator has 40,000 towers and poles on about the same amount of properties.
Mr Strange said Transpower needs buffer zones, which it is seeking by way of District Plan changes, to perform crucial maintenance on the pylons.
But he says there is misinformation on the size of the buffers and the impact they will have on farming.
Farmers in Western Bay of Plenty have been fighting Transpower's attempt to extend the buffer zones around pylons to 32 metres on 168 properties in the region.
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council is considering submissions on the buffer zone proposal.
