North Island Faces Worse Power Cuts

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28620, 24 June 1958, Page 14

North Island Faces Worse Power Cuts

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, June 23. Time is running out for even the present rationed allocation of power for all North Island consumers. Unless there is rain in the next day or two, another 5 per cent, cut in power authorities’ allocations is likely. This will bring the total cut to 20 per cent. This warning was given by the general manager of the State Hydro-electric Department (Mr A. E. Davenport) this morning.

“I am warning all supply •uthorities to prepare for another power cut,” said Mr Davenport “This 5 per cent, cut will have to be imposed if there is no rain.”

Mr Davenport said the 5 per cent, cut was an immediate prospect If the present unusually dry conditions continued further into the winter, further cuts would have to be considered.

‘‘The gates at Lake Taupo are wide open, and the rate of flow from there cannot be increased.* said Mr Davenport “Rather it is decreasing. “Lake Waikaremoana is only •ix inches above the lowest level

it ever recorded. There is < danger that air will shortly be drawn into the water tunnel, and when this is done we will have to stop drawing on Waikaremoana.” Mr Davenport said that when this happened the load would have to be reduced. The action was like that in a bath as the water ran out As the level of water dropped, air was sucked into the tunnel in the vortex and power generation had to stop. “Critical Stage” "We are entering a critical stage. We have never had conditions like this before at this time of the year,” he said. "The load will have to be reduced—before the end of this week unless there is rain—because operating conditions will make it impossible for us to carry the present load.” Mr Davenport said that lack of rain was the cause. The inflow to the Waikato system last week was only 67 per cent of normal for this time of the year. At Waikaremoana, the inflow was

only 18.2 per cent, of normal.

For the North Island as a whole, inflows were 62 per cent of normal. A power cut of 15 per cent, was not sufficient to cope with a water deficiency running at the rate of 38 per cent. All North Island supply authorities had remained • within their weekly allocations for the seven days ending at midnight on Sunday, he said. All, therefore, would remain on the weekly allocation system for the present week.

During the week, 73.5 million units of power had been generated. The inflow had been just over 50 million units and 23 million units had been drawn from storage.