WATER POWER

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 4701, 1 December 1913, Page 2

WATER POWER

LAKE COLERIDGE SCHEME. NORTH ISLAND PROPOSALS. Some highly interesting information relative to the development of water-power in New Zealand is given in the advance sheets of the 1913 Official Year Book. Referring to the Lake Coleridge scheme at present being carried out by the Government, the Year Book says:—“'Hie Aid to Water-power Act of 1910 empowered the Government t > establish hydro-electric supply installations, and the first is now in course of construction at Lake Coleridge, in the Southern Alps, seventy miles east of Christchurch. This plant is being designed for a total capacity of 9000 kilowatts (12,000 h.p.). Of this one-half is included n) the first installation, with which it. is expected to put into operation by May, 1914. The natural features of the lake and adjacent rivers allow of a very large extension of the supply up to 58,000 h.p. The transmission line is being laid in duplicate at once by separate routes, thus ensuring continuity of supply, each line having a capacity of 5000 k.w. The population to be served as over 110,000, and a large demand is anticipated immediately supply commences, including the bulk supply to the Christchurch City Council and some 15 other local bodies for retail distribution, the Christchurch Tramway Board, Christchurch Drainage Board, the electrification of the Christchurch-Lyttelton suburban railway line and ultmately of the main lines, and the [>ower supply to the large meat freezing works, flour mills, woollen mills and other factories and industries of the Canterbury Plains. The contract already entered into with the Christchurch City Council, which will form the basis of other supply contracts, provides for a charge for the first 300 kilowatts (400 h.p.) of £8 13s 4d per annum per kilowatt of maximum load (equivalent to £6 10s per horse power) and all over 300 kilomatts at £5 per annum per kilowatt of maximum load (equivalent to £3 15s per h.p.). This wili enable the Council to retail it to the public at an average of about 3d per unit for light and 1 i per unit for power in small units, and £lO per annum per kilowatt of maximum load for power to large consumers. It is estimated that a capital expenditure of about £375,000 will be required to complete the 12.000 h.p. development a* Lake Coleridge, completing the present design.” Referring to the North Island the Year Book says: “A large and conir prehensive scheme is now under consideraton for the supply of electrical energy in the North Island, with the object of making it generally available, as far as possible, to all the towns and districts throughout the Island, and it is anticipated that advantage will be taken of the facilities offered to work the railways by electricity and to promote a system of light railways throughout the country districts now suffering from lack of communication l>ecause of the difficulty of obtaining stone for surfacing the roads.”