Power is expected to be restored to homes in the Te Puna, Whakamarama and Wairoa areas by 12.30pm today.
The car crashed on Borell Rd about 8.30am, snapping a concrete power pole in half and crashing off a bridge and into a small creek below, a reporter at the scene said.
The reporter said no one was able to get close to the crash scene because of live lines lying on the road from the damaged power pole.
A Bay of Plenty Times reader at the scene said the car went "clean through" the power pole and the barrier and ended up in the bank.
No one could get near the car as powerlines were down all around the car, he said.
Police Inspector Andy Brill said police were still on the scene with the power authority.
The driver of the car was taken to hospital with minor to moderate injuries and police were in the process of trying to get the car out of the stream, he said.
Power outages were reported to Powerco at 8.33am on the following roads:
Ainsworth Rd, Albert Lane, Armstrong Rd, Avocet Ave, Burnt Oak lane, Fairlie Grove, Gill Lane, Hayward Lane, Ianson Rd, Lindoch Ave, Loop Rd, Matahiwi Rd, Munro Rd, Newnhams Rd, Old Highway, Park Lane, Quarry Rd, Snodgrass Rd, State Highway 2, Te Karaka Drive, Waikaraka Drive, Wallace Rd.