ELECTRICITY SCHEMES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17574, 13 September 1920, Page 6

ELECTRICITY SCHEMES.

MQtfNT EDEN'S, POLICY.

WATER POWER IN VIEW.

AN AUXILIARY PLANT. Tin attitude and policy of the Mount Eden Borough Council in regard to an electricity scheme for the borough was briefly explained on Saturday by the Deputy-Mayor, Mr. "E. H. Potter. He stated that the council had gone exhaustively into the matter and had consistently, advocated water power for the past five years. Mr. Potter stated that the point the Borough Council has been mainly concerned about is the question of keeping the reticulation in its own hands, in order to take hydro-electricity as soon as the Government is able to supply it. The constant coal troubles, he said, have confirmed it in this decision. In order to meet a demand which is general throughout the borough it is necessary to reticulate every street" therein. Recent gas troubles have made ratepayers in the borough impatient for a supply. The reticulation, if carried out in one operation, will, it is claimed, be done more economically than if done piecemeal.

Method erf Supply Still Open. The question of the method of power supply, said Mr. Potter, is still open. The Borough Council was willing to take it in bulk from the city or from the Eden County Power Board, when formed, if conditions are satisfactory, and - always with a proviso that the council mußt be able to come on to hydro-electricity as soon as obtainable. Before the City Council would state its terms for supply in bulk, said Mr. Potter, it required the Borough Council to agree to take the current or a term of 21 years, and stated that] a supply would not be available for two'years. To this Mount Eden replied that it was unable to agree, as it desired to be in a position to avail itself of hydroelectricity as soon as obtainable. Should the City Council make an offer which would meet the terms proposed by Mount Eden it will be duly considered. If power in bulk cannot be obtained from the city or any other source a small suction eas plant, continued Mr. Potter, will be installed by the Borough Council for the generation of electric power for the requirements of 1600 consumers. This, it is stated, will require less fuel than a steam-driven plant, • and will be capable of being worked on occasion with coke cr other fuel. Such a plant would serve is a stand-by,' which the Government lequires to be installed. Provision is to be made under the Borough Council's scheme to assist ratepayers to instal electric light, for which they will pay by instalments. The plan of reticulation prepared provides for about 70 per cent, more street lamps in the borough, which would effect the lighting of every street Consulting Engineer's Estitmates. Reporting upon the proposed scheme the borough's consulting electrical engineer, Mr. A. G. Walker, has estimated the cost of the whole undertaking at about £49,000, of which £13,500 is for plant. He has pointed out that the plant proposed would only be of sufficient size to carry the borough on until the Government's hydro-electric scheme is ready, when it would connect in the pdwer-house with the switch board and pass through the borough's own street mains, feeders, and transformers- The engines and dynamos would then be held as a stand-by in case of accident to the Government's transmission lines. The p'ant would only be an auxiliary to the large system of the Government's, the design throughout being in strict accordance with the Arapuni and Horahora instal'ations. It would be to the advantage of the borough to keep its plant on the small side, as the interest and depredation on capital spent would have to be added to the cost of electricity bought from the Government. Therefore, the less interest, etc., on the stand-by plant, the cheaper the boroughs hydroelectricity would be.