By offering an elevated plane of nutrition to heifers through the pre- and post- weaning phases, energy intake, growth, and future productivity may be increased. The objective was to determine the effects of pre- and post-weaning diets, with differing energy levels, on the intake, growth, and attainment of puberty in Holstein heifer calves. Animals were randomly assigned to either a low (n = 18) or high (n = 18) pre-weaning diet (5 L/d or 10 L/d of pasteurized whole milk, wk 1 to 8.5), and to either a low (n = 18) or high (n = 18) ad libitum post-weaning dry TMR diet [30% straw and 70% concentrate) or 15% straw and 85% concentrate, from wk 9 to 25 of age], in a 2 × 2 factorial experiment. Free choice concentrate was available to all calves in the pre-weaning phase, and free choice water was available to all calves throughout the study. Feed intake was recorded daily from birth to 6-mo of age. Body weight, hip height, withers height, and heart girth, were recorded on a weekly basis. Effects of pre- and post-weaning treatments were assessed using PROC MIXED. Mean heights of hip and withers did not differ between treatment groups at any point during the study. There was a significant treatment by week effect on body weight in the pre-weaning period from wk 2 to 9, however this interaction did not occur in the post-weaning period. Regardless of the diet received in the pre-weaning phase, heifers offered the high plane of nutrition in the post-weaning phase had significantly greater metabolizable energy intake than those receiving the low plane in wk 11 (high = 9.52 Mcal/d, low = 8.53 Mcal/d, P = 0.003) through 25 (high = 22.05 Mcal/d, low = 17.38 Mcal/d, P < 0.001). A subset of heifers from both high (n = 11) and low (n = 12) post-weaning treatments was monitored for confirmation of first ovulation via transrectal ultrasonography. Mean days to first ovulation were significantly reduced in high post-weaning calves compared with low post-weaning calves (201.73, SE = 7.76 vs. 240.75, SE = 7.36, P = 0.04). Overall, early life elevated planes of nutrition increased energy intake, and decreased age at puberty without compromising growth.