FUTURE POWER SUPPLY

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25248, 29 July 1947, Page 5

FUTURE POWER SUPPLY

WATER STORAGE MAIN FACTOR Storage of water, will be the main factor in the supply of power lor Christchurch in the next few years, according to Cr. F. S. Wilding, chairman of the City Council’s electricity committee. At the council meeting last evening he said that until the work at Lake Pukaki to provide extra storage of water was completed, Christchurch could not be sate. Cr. Wilding said that the electricity committee was a good deal happier than it had been. Power savings were being held slightly above the 10 per cent, required. Lake Coleridge, however, was still 9ft bplow the overflow level, and at Waitaki there were still only 1J generators going out of four over the 24-hour period. Referring to prospects for the future, Cr. Wilding said that people were asking whether they would be allowed to continue water-heating, and whether water-heaters could be installed. “We can’t answer that question,’’ he added, “and probably the State Hydro-electric Department can’t answer it.”

Cr. Wilding said that the Government was going ahead with the Coal Creek scheme, but that would take several years to complete. Suggestions had been made that auxiliary steam plants should be obtained, but he thought it would be better to forget about them for the next two years. “The Government is pushing on with the storage of water.” said Cr. Wilding. “We know it is working on Tekapo and Pukaki at present. The only salvation for us next year and in the following years will be storage of water.”