PEAK POWER LOADS

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27690, 21 June 1955, Page 12

PEAK POWER LOADS

USE OF STAND BY PLANTS WANTED Could not the Municipal Electricity Department, when faced with peakload problems come to some arrangement with the owners Of stand-by generating plants so that the plants could assist the position when the load became too great? asked Mr F. S. Taylor at a meeting of the council of the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association last evening.

The total capacity of stand-by plants was not great compared with the overall load, said Mr T. I. Uren, chairman of the association’s? power and fuel committee. The M.E.D., he considered, was making the right approach in appealing to consumers to switch off water-heaters during peak loads. If it hid some method of controlling water-heaters the problem would be solved.

“I think we have every reason for misgivings,” •said Mr W. M. Ollivier. “First we were told it was lack of water, now it is lack of generating power. Even if they can bring the power into Christchurch it is questionable whether the subsidiary lines can carry all the power. We have listened to a lot of poppy cock. We are still asking for the true position, but we have not had one word except to tell us not to worry in the future.” The vice-president (Mr A. H. Lee) said he thought manufacturers should be prepared to run their stand-by plants if it would help during peak loads. Mr Uren agreed to discuss the use of stand-by plants with the engineermanager of the M.E.D. (Mr J. C. Forsyth).