ELECTRIC POWER SHORTAGE

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 127, 22 February 1941, Page 12

ELECTRIC POWER SHORTAGE

Means Of Alleviation

EXTENSION OF DAYLIGHT

SAVING

Tiie view that, a.s a metlns of alleviating a possible electric power shortage in the Dominion the Government should extend daylight sieving from half an hour to one hour throughout the year till the end of the war and possibly for one or two years after was expressed by Mr. E. F. Hollands, engineer-general manager of the Hutt Valley Electric I’o' er Board, at this week’s meeting of the board. Mr. Hollands made it clear that this was merely his comment on the iMjsitioii and was not to l>e regarded as a report. Commenting on his visit to Arttpuni and the work being done there to provide an ultimate capacity of 180,OW k.v.a., Mr. Hollands said that because of war conditions serious delay in the delivery of the additional units was being experienced, and with the dry summer in the area supplying this station there was a grave ]>ossibility of a shortage of power over the whole of the North Island. The new units for Arapuni could not lie installed, should they arrive within the next few weeks, in time to cope with the 1941. winter load, and this also applied to the Waikaremoana scheme.

Unless there was an abundant rainfall in the Waikato basin, and the coal position was alleviated very soon, there would be a definite shortage of power and restrictions would have to be placed on some classes of load during peak hours. If the war was prolonged the position for the following winter would be even more serious. Coal Shortage.

Mr. S. Blackley said that recently there had been a conference in Wellington when the position had been thoroughly investigated. There was a shortage of coal to the extent of 3<),000 tons, and this would seriously affect the supply of coal to electric power plants. The shortage of coal chiefly affected Auckland, which was now receiving coal from Invercargill. The Auckland plant was specially titled for lignite coal and supplies of West Coast South Island coal were not suitable. A deputation would shortly wait ou the Minitser of Mines with certain recommendations to increase the delivery of coal. The time had arrived, said Mr. Blackley, when the lioard’s policy of encouraging the. use of electricity would have to be reversed to one of discouragement. There was need for propaganda to show how savings could be effected in the use of current, and the time had come to preach economy. Mr. I’. Dowse: During peak hours. Mr. Blackley: Where steam plants were concerned, a.s in Auckland and Wellington, the economy is needed not only at. peak hours. Mr. A. Walker commented on the fact, that sufficient attention was not being given by the authorities to the need for educating the public jo use alternative methods of cooking in ease hydro-electric works suffered wartime damage. Attention was being given to putting Ares out. but. what was wanted was instruction on how to put the fires in if electricity was cut off.