PRIVATE POWER GENERATORS

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25784, 21 April 1949, Page 4

PRIVATE POWER GENERATORS

STATE ASSISTANCE REFUSED MINISTER’S REPLY TO MANUFACTURERS Two requests by the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation for State assistance for manufacturers who use auxiliary power generating sets during power shortages have been refused by the Minister in charge of the Stale Hydro-electric Department (Mr R. Semple). The requests were that the Government should encourage owners of auxiliary generating sets to use them to the full during power shortages, and that consideration should be given to repaying to owners the difference in the cost of generating their own power and the cost of purchasing it from the local supply authority. “Generally speaking, auxiliary plants have been installed by manufacturers and others of their own volition as dictated by their own economic position and without any particular consideration to. the general welfare of other electrical consumers,” said Mr Semple in a letter to the federation. A copy of the letter was received by the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association last evening. Few of the auxiliary plants were capable of feeding into the distribution system so that other consumers could benefit, the Minister said. Of those that were capable of feeding power back into the general system many were operated at Government instruction and expense whenever there was an indication of a power shortage.

The smaller types of generating plants used by manufacturers and others were regarded as an insurance against a power shortage and to ensure continuous production. M1 ’ Semple added that the cost to the Government this year for running steam and oil fuel stations and for Power from auxiliary plants which fed back into the distribution system had exceeded £700,000. This, he said, represented a major Government contrioution towards meeting shortages Dissatisfaction with the Minister’s reply was expressed by members of the council of the Manufacturers’ Association last evening, and it was decided to recommend that the letter should be referred to the taxation committee of the federation.