ELECTRICITY SUPPLY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 245, 14 September 1938, Page 10

ELECTRICITY SUPPLY

PRECAUTION AGAINST SHORTAGE. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Sept. 13. “We are making investigations with the idea of some day fairly soon probably starting further development on the Waikato River,” said Mr F. T. M. Kissel, chief electrical engineer for the Public Works Department, referring to what the department was doing to meet prospective demands for electricity. He made this comment at the annual conference in Wellingfx>n to-day of the secretaries’ branch of the Electric Power Boards’ and Supply Authorities’ Association. ~ “I noted quite recently in southern papers that during this conference a prospective power shortage in the South Island would probably be discussed,” Mr Kissel continued. “I would like the conference, if it does consider the subject, to discuss it with me or my officers before doing anything too drastic. I am more concerned about a prospective shortage in the North Island than in the South Island, and particularly the southern portion of the North Island. We have hopes, however, that we will get through the critical year of 1941, which is when the difficulty will occur, if it is going to. We have arrangements with comparatively large steam plants in Auckland and Wellington to help us in 1940 and 1941, and I believe they will be running as part of onr system by arrangement with the authorities which own them.” The year had been a phenomenal one as far as the growth of load was concerned, continued Mr Kissel. He referred to two graphs published in the Public Works Statement which _ illustrated the growth of the load in the two islands. A particular feature in them, he said, was the very rapid inctoase in load which had taken place in the last two years. There had been a particularly large increase in. the amount of power supplied to the Dunedin City Council.