ELECTRIC POWER POSITION STILL IS VERY SERIOUS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 26, 29 November 1948, Page 5

ELECTRIC POWER POSITION STILL IS VERY SERIOUS

The opinion that there was little hope for ah improvement in the supply of electricity -in New Zealand, until the latter part of 1952 at the earliest, was expressed by Mr F. W. Lysaght, borough electrical engineer at Whakatane, to a Bercon reporter. Even then, he did not think the country would be free of cuts and'rationing. Consumption was going up about 15 per cent in the Dominion every year, Mr Lysaght said. It took a considerable time to construct power stations, and when they were completed, the load was so -far ahead that when new units were brought into operation the relief was only momentary. Usually it was hardly noticed. “I think,” he declared, “that it will take this country about 10 years to get rid of the power shortage, at the present rate of hydro-station construction.”

Mr Lysaght added, that the power position relied wholly on the weather. This year the North Island had been lucky, as it was the wettest season for some time. It was however, too much to hope to have wet weather until 1952.

In Whakatane, Mr Lysaght said, consumption was rising fast. Connections to 16 new houses had -to be made before Christmas. The town was well over it’s . allocation now and it only needed a really dry spell for drastic cuts to be brought in again.