HYDRO-ELECTRICITY

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 124, 23 February 1928, Page 10

HYDRO-ELECTRICITY

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE IN NEW ZEALAND “DEVELOPMENT ON SOUND LINES” Particulars regarding the development of hydro-electricity in the Dominion were given by Air. C. Dash, of South Canterbury, in a paper he read at the conlerence of power board secretaries in Wellington yesterday. “Our earliest venture in hydro-elec-tricity,” said Mr. Dash, “was at Reefton in 18oi. Eleven years alter in 1698 the Stratford Electrical Supply Co. developed 120 h.p. on the Patea River to supply the Stratford Borough. The first development of any magnitude was at Waipori in 1901, when a private company commenced work, which was taken over before completion, by the Dunedin City Council, and has been a great success’ financially and otherwise. “It slowly dawned upon the Government that the water power was a Dominion asset, and it then reserved to the State the sole right to the Dominion water power for electrical development. The owner of land upon winch there is water power may develop it for his own use, but cannot sell electrical energy. The Aid to Water-power Act, 1910, authorised the Government to borrow half a million pounds for hvdro-electrical development, and . the first State undertaking was Lake Coleridge, in the South Island, from which supply was made available in This development has been extended from time to time, and the financial results have justified the expenditure, at the same time boosting the industrial concerns in Canterbury, by supplying the cheapest form of power known. , , “Since then, three other developments have been carried out ill the North Island, and others are in progress. It is estimated that already the use of one million tons of coal per year have been saved bv the use of electric power. As far as the Government is concerned, however, it lias always allowed the demand to overtake the S “So far the distribution of electrical energy has been in the hands of boi' oughs, cities, counties, and town boards, under legislation governing same, unfortunately there was no restriction as to price charged consumers, and the local bodies were allowed to transfer profits from their electric undertakings to their general accounts Ihe position developed that whereas the generation of electricity was becoming a national undertaking, backed by the general taxpayer, its distribution was in the hands of’individual cities and towns, the management of which sometimes exploited the consumer for the benefit oi the general ratepayer. . “In 1918 the Electric Power Districts Act was put on the Statute Book, with a view to bringing the control of distribution under bodies set up tor that one particular purpose. The Dominion was mapped out into 55 proposed districts, of which at date 47 have been actually constituted. These districts cover wide areas, including both urban and rural populations, the purport being bv a combination of sparsely and closely settled country to spread tns benefits over a wider field. . “The indications are that except in a few instances the development has been on sound business lines As tar ns New Zealand is concerned, elect! ic lighting represents a very b'st-diiniins - iiig factor in the sale of electrical - ergv, so much so that the peak demand is' generally on the industrial power load Electric cooking, which is coming into favour, is accentuating tins phase, and although at present only 7 per cent, of our consumers cook by electricity, this business is developing rapidly, and presents a profitable field for expansion. "In the dairying districts, current is ousting fuel, as power for milking; in 1923 there were 1310 milking machines using current, and in 1927 the number had increased to 6738, while there arc still 9000 machines fuel driven. “As a further indication of increasing business, the present maximum demand per head of population of o’oBs k.w., with a unit consumption of 310 k.w.h. per annum is very far away from saturation point.’’-