SOUTH ISLAND POWER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26471, 27 May 1947, Page 3

SOUTH ISLAND POWER

DEMAND EXCEEDS SUPPLY DIFFICULT PERIOD AHEAD “ The power position in the South Island continues to give grave concern,” said the chairman of the Waitaki Electric Power Board, IVJr A. R. Tait, in his annual report to the . board yesterday. ” Conflicting reports have reached us from time to time. It can be foreseen that with the increased growth of load and bad hydraulic conditions a serious shortage is threatening, and it must be some years before this threat can be removed. With the shortge of other fuels people are more and more installing electric appliances, especially for heating, and the demand is starting to exceed the supply. With this prospect in view we must keep our own generating plants in first-class working order.”

Further steps had been taken to implement rural reticulation, continued Mr Tait. The board had submitted several applications for assistance, and these had all been granted. The initial work involved had been considerable. The board had to present a comprehensive picture of the area giving the .locations of settlers who did not have a supply of electricity and the cost of supplying it. Trouble had been experienced with the board's pipe line last year, and this trouble had been accentuated, much time being spent patching and repairing the line. This had been expensive, but in view of the threatened shortage of power the board was impelled to keep the water set in use. Negotiations were being opened with the Borough Council to consider the transference of the water set from the pow'er house to a new location near the intake in Warren street. If this could be accomplished the pipe line could be abandoned and much trouble and worry eliminated. Extensive repairs to the Diesel set had also been authorised, and when these were carried out the board umuld have a valuable plant, to assist in the reduction of any power shortage which threatened.