Threat of power cuts recedes

Press, 22 July 1976, Page 3

Threat of power cuts recedes

PA Wellington Despite one of the coldest winters on record, pushing electricity consumption in bursts to record levels, the threat of power cuts which faced New Zealanders in April is now receding.

With the cold southerly weather has come rain which has maintained storage levels in hydro lakes at what the general manager of the New Zealand Electricity Department (Mr P. W. Blakeley) describes as reasonable levels. This, in combination with the effects of the 45 per cent increase in electricity

charges and a good response to the Government’s call for a 7 per cent voluntary saving in power consumption, has considerably reduced the threat of cuts.

The weekly voluntary saving has averaged about 6.5 per cent.

A drop in consumption of about this magnitude is necessary to meet the limit imposed by the governmnt of S3OM for fuel for electricity generation.

A complicating factor, however, has been the explosion at the New Plymouth power station on June 29 which has reduced generation to three units all fuelled by oil rather than natural gas Oil is about five times as expensive as natural: gas.

Last week the cost of fuel oil used was $829,000, compared with $625,000 the previous week. More than half the oil was used at New Plymouth According to Mr Blakeley this surge in oil use has “upset the applecart.”

The added difficulty it will pose for the N.Z.E.D. in keeping to the S3OM limit for fuel for electricity generation will be the subject of a meeting in the next few days between Mr Blakeley and the Minister of Electricity (Mr Holland). Mr Blakeley could not say when the investigation into the cause of the explosion would be completed.

(South Island lake levels, Page 7)