Government warned

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33516, 23 April 1974, Page 12

Government warned

Supply authorities warned the Government previously

of an electricity shortage according to an editorial in the April edition of “Live Lines,” the official journal of the Electrical Supply Authorities of New Zealand. These same authorities were now forced to operate within the imposed allocations and had to face — with “complete distaste” — the brunt of consumers’ complaints, says the editorial. Although there had been litle rain to raise lake levels and oil suplies had been reduced to thermal stations, it was still only “probable” that normal demand could be met with all generating stations at full capacity. The position of supply authorities is unenviable, says the journal. On the one hand they had to reduce their weekly allocation, and on the other.their finances were in a state of “confusion” with constrained tariffs, reduced incomes, and inflated overheads. The reduction in oil supplies has added to the problem. says another article in the same issue of the journal During the summer the thermal stations had beer relied upon to take up i greater part of the demanc than normal. This allowec the storage levels in the laketo be built up fbr winter use