Adequacy Of Power Plan Doubted

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30555, 25 September 1964, Page 1

Adequacy Of Power Plan Doubted

(New Zealand Press Association > DUNEDIN, September 24. Is a plan for providing generating capacity capable of supplying 96 per cent of the country’s power needs in dry years good enough? This is asked in a report adopted by the Electrical Supply Authorities’ Association in Dunedin today.

The planning committee on electric power development recently produced such a plan, which has been examined by a group of the industry’s experts. In a report presented to the conference by the group’s convener (Mr N. A. Davidson) it was said to be impossible to make a detailed assessment of the risks involved in a dry year, or a series of dry years. “But the recent embarrassing position in the South Island highlights the fact that in a year in which an estimated 2740 million units were to be supplied, the total available storage capacity was about 430 million units, or 15.7 per cent of the estimated annual requirements.” it said. The report noted that the

margin “would seem low” in comparison with overseas systems.

The general manager of the Electricity Department (Mr E. B. Mackenzie) said the re-, port was “a big step forward” in that it planned for only a 4 per cent deficiency, whereas previous reports had provided for 15 per cent. Dry weather capacity was a difficult one. he said, because of the high cost of installations which might remain idle.

Except for this point the planning report is accepted “as providing the steps necessary to supply the increase in electricity demands forecast. But the report suggests investigation of the remaining major hydro-electric and other projects should be sneeded up to the stage at which the power planning committee can select to go ahead with the most suitable, rather than the only one available.

Particularly referred to were the Motu and Wanganui rivers in the North Island, and the Waitaki. Clutha. and Buller rivers in the south.

The Government was urged to build up investigation and to use consultants. There would be a duplication of transmission and reticulation. with resultant extra expenditure if the newer planning committee’s proposal that Kapuni gas could replace electricity for domestic cooking, water heating and snace heating ever became reality. I