WASTAGE OF POWER.

Evening Star, Issue 26087, 29 April 1947, Page 4

WASTAGE OF POWER.

If the people of the South Island suffer serious inconveniences this winter because of a shortage of electricity they will have the doubtful satisfaction of knowing that the trouble' was aggravated by "the failure, of the authorities to effect economies earlier in the year when water storage might have been conserved for winter use. As early as February 7 a conference of southern supply authorities was expressing doubts about the ability of generating plant in the South Island to meet the demand this winter, and within a few weeks of- that date it must have been obvious that there were distinct possibilities of a shortage. Five weeks ago, Mr Semple made a statement that the flow of the Waitaki River was little more than half of what it had been at the same date last year; that water had stopped flowing over the Waitaki Dam as early as February 23. and that the storage was being drawn on to meet present power requirements. He mentioned that the winter power supply would depend on the success of efforts to conserve the level of Lake Pukaki, but a special article published in the * Evening Star 1 last week stated that the plan for temporary extra storage in that lake had failed because there had been insufficient rain this season, and the full outflow of the three lakes feeding the Waitaki lliver was required for the generating station. As in the North Island, the problem of power supplies in the South Island promises to be one of water storage rather than of generating equipment, and the Government must bear a considerable' responsibility for the situation. It is obviously imprudent in ,a national power supply scheme to make insufficient provision for dry seasons, and that is exactly what has happened. Official calculations were doubtless based on average conditions, or possibly on the fact that parts of New Zealand have experienced unusually heavy summer rainfalls for several years, and the network of power stations has apparently operated on too narrow a margin for safety. Even in the last few weeks the authorities have been still hoping for heavy rain which might restore the position, but as tlie winter approaches, when most of the rainfall on the ranges will be in the form of snow and not available for water power until the spring, those hopes must be receding. As Mr Semple so generously admitted a few weeks ago, he cannot make rain, hut his department has apparently not taken steps in the south to restrict effectively now the wasteful use of power or increases in the load which will aggravate any shortage that will occur later in the year when the demand for electicity will be greatest.

i It is reported to-day' from Christchurch that steps have been taken to reduce the load in that city by switching off street lights after 1 a.m., and by refusing permits. for electric radiators except in cases of hardship. So far, similar restrictions in Dunedin are still under consideration, although it is understood that the sale of appliances and installations that will increase the load is being discouraged. However, there is still a great amount of power being wasted in all parts of the South Island, and it. is imperative .that it should be eliminated so that restrictions later in the. year might be less severe and less disrupting to industrial and domestic consumers. As it is, about two months have passed since a power crisis became a possibility, and huge quantities of water that plight have been conserved for winter power have been used unnecessarily., The power supply authorities in the south should have taken combined action before this to reach a common basis for economies so that the maximum winter supply might be conserved.