IN JEOPARDY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27390, 16 May 1950, Page 4

IN JEOPARDY

Winter Power Supply CONSUMPTION IN SOUTH Allocation Exceeded Special Correspondent WELLINGTON, May 15. The power supply authorities have failed to carry out the direction to reduce South Island consumption by 12j per cent. The reduction effected during the first week of the revised allocation ended at midnight last night was only 4£ per cent. If the present trend continues and the cuts directed by the State Hydroelectric Department are not carried out, the South Island power supply for the vital winter months will be placed in jeopardy. This situation was made clear today by the general manager of the department, Mr A. E. Davenport, in a message to supply authorities reviewing last weeks figures. Mr Davenport’s message read: “The lack of response to the direction to reduce consumption to 12£ per cent, below the allocation is clearly shown by the fact that consumption exceeded the reduced allocation by nearly 8 per cent. A further 5,500,000 units were taken from storage, and, if we carry on according to the present trend, the usable storage may be exhausted before the end of July. The results of such an occurrence would be extremely serious, and it cannot be too strongly stated that this situation must not be allowed to arise. “Insofar as power saving is concerned, the matter is largely in the hands of the consumers, but all supply authorities are urged to take immediate steps to reduce consumption to the allotted figures. Hydraulic conditions show no sign of improvement, and it must be clear to all that a week-by-week draw upon storage can only be maintained for a relatively short time. It must be remembered that the winter is still ahead, and requirements due to a combination of high load and snow on the watersheds can be met only from water held in storage. “We have a chance now to safeguard the winter power supply,” Mr Davenport said, “ but the whole-hearted co-operation of the supply authorities and consumers is necessary to take advantage of the little time that remains before freezing conditions set in.” Figures quoted by Mr Davenport showed that consumption in the South Island for the week was 1,057,042 units, or 7.91 per cent, above the allocation. Storage used was 5,505,000 units, and storage available was now well below 100,000,000 units, the actual figure being 93,665,000 units.