FOUR YEARS OF RAPID EXPANSION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 48, Issue 156, 13 April 1928, Page 4

FOUR YEARS OF RAPID EXPANSION.

ASHBURTON POWER BOARD’S PRESENT SOUND POSITION. i,' . • There are many farmers in Ashburton County to-day, A r ery thankful for the Board’s unexpectedly rapid extension of its poAver-lines into their territory. In four years of operation, the Board has far outstripped the estimates made when it first took control, of its probable development. To give some examples: Figures prepared in 1924, placed the probable demand for electricity by 1929 at 600 kilowatts. In actual fact," the load is at present 1400 kilowatts and by 1929, will certainly be not less than 1700 kilowatts, almost three times the load predicted in 1924. '' , The original report of 1924 proposed 340 miles of lines to supply 2400 consumers, actually, to the present date the Board has built over 800 miles of lino Avitli the money that iVas expected to build 340, and is supplying 2950 consumers. The A'ery large increase in miles of line oyer the estimate, and the comparatively small increase o\ r er estimate of consumers shows A'ery strikingly the Board’s policy of carrying lines to link isolated farm houses with its system. The Board is now being repaid by gratifying increase in the use of electricity by consumers. Where each consumer used 1.33 kiloivatts in 1924, to-day he uses 3 kilowatts, an increase not surprising when the consumer of 1924 paid ‘6|d per unit for his electricity. while to~dav unclei the Board, he pays 2 l-3d. This increased use of electricity lias raised, the total electrical load' from 1356 kiloAvatts in 1924 to nearly 9000 to-day . It will be seen that the continued success of the Board, depends on its ability to continue this progress. At present the Board’s distribution system, designed for 600 kiloivatts is carryincr 1400 kilowatts. Further overloadincr 7s impossible. The Board’s proposed £90,000 lean will provide capital necessary to build heavier mam feedei lines, instal transformers, and place the Avhole svstem in a condition to handle loads of over 3000 kilowatts, that are expected in the near future Since a. direct increase in revenue follows every increase in electrical load, it is sound business economy to ensure that the .svstem can profit by this meiease. The Board’s loan proposal is a suggestion that it he permitted to develop a sound’but at present limited system to its full earning capacity. —(Advt.)