High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The HVDC Inter-Island link is a high-capacity, bipolar high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system connecting the electricity networks of the North and South Islands of New Zealand together. It is commonly referred to as the Cook Strait cable, which is somewhat of a misnomer, because only a short section of the complete link is in cable, and there are actually three operational HVDC power cables across Cook Strait. However, the term Cook Strait cable is commonly used in the media and press releases. The link is owned and operated by state-owned transmission company Transpower New Zealand.