POWER CRISIS

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27466, 28 September 1954, Page 12

POWER CRISIS

Further Cut May Be Necessary

WARNING GIVEN BY DEPARTMENT If there is no improvement tn the water storage in the South bland's hydro-electno lakes during the next week, supply authorities will impose a further 10 per cent, reduction in unit consumption from Monday, October i. A statement requesting that arrangements be made for such a reduction are belnj> sent by the General Manager Of the State Hydro-electric Department (Mr A. E. Davenport) to ail supply Authorities in the North Canterbury area indicated yesterday that they would discuss the manner in which the reduction should be made, when they received the statement. The electricity committee of the Christchurch City Council will do so on Thursday. Optimism about the increase in storage from Saturday to Sunday and the forecast that a thaw in the back country might have begun, were proved to be unfounded by a further drop in storage from Sunday. Yesterday morning it measured 20,260,000 units, compared with 20,380,000 units on Sunday, The storage last Monday was 24,350,000 units. Mr Davenport’s statement reads as follows: “As yet, there is no sign of any improvement in the amount of water available. As you were told in Wellington last week, if these conditions continue until the end of this week it will be necessary to call for a further reduction of 10 per cent, in the loading. “At this stage an important matter is whether the further savings have to be made during working hours, and I know how important it is that there should be no further cuts during working hours. “However, the storage position is most acute in the Waitaki basin, and as the Waitaki power station is already shut down during the night hours to conserve the remaining storage, further reductions of load should be made as far as possible during the hours that Waitaki is running, that is, between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. “In the general interests of all, it is essential that daylight .or workinghour cuts be avoided as far as possible. Will you therefore please make arrangements for a further 10 per cent, reduction in unit consumption, to start as from Monday, October 4, if required. “This additional curtailment will not be put into effect unless it is absolutely necessary,” the statement says. The best saving in power in the North Canterbury area last week was made by the Riccarton borough. It was 1.9 per cent, within its allocation and for the whole saving period it is .05 per cent, within its allocation. Christchurch was 0.7 per cent, over its allocation.

Supply authorities in North Canterbury said yesterday that for this week they will observe the same cuts as previously. Sumner was due to have a power cut last evening, but because of other cuts during yesterday and Sunday, the arrangement was not adhered to. On Sunday the shifting of power lines from one side of Heberden avenue, made a cut necessary, and yesterday morning, when the line, damaged in shifting, had to be repaired, another cut was made.