HYDRO POWER SUFFICIENT FOR TWENTY YEARS

Grey River Argus, 8 September 1948, Page 8

HYDRO POWER SUFFICIENT FOR TWENTY YEARS

CHRISTCHURCH,, Sept r. New Zealand had a good deal of electric power in sight for the future said Mr F. T. M. Kissel,until recently general manager of the State Hydroelectric Department, to the Canterbury University. College Engineering Society last evening. “I think we are quite safe in saying that sufficient power, in the main at least, from water, can be provided ,to meet the requirements of the next 15 or 20 years,” Mr Kissel said, when discussing the sources of power available. There was more potential water power in the South Island than in the North, he added. Referring to the suggested development scheme in the West Coast sounds for special manufacturing industries, such as the manufacture of aluminium or nitrates, Mr Kissel said he did not think it was essestial to put a limitation on the use of the power obtained there. Even though the country was rough, it should be possible to transmit the power to the east coast where within a few years, there would be an ordinary domestic and _ commercial demand, and where special industries might more easily be established. Although it was not so well provided with water power, the North Island might have a very valuable source of power to 1 its natural hot water and steam suppliec. Since 1924 there' had oeen a continuous reduction in ihe price of electricity, he said, but it could not be expected that the reduction would continue, as the prices of almost eevrything else had risen. However any inrcease in the cost of the retail price would be as nothing compared with the increases in the cost of all alternatives to electric supply. Mr Kissel emphasised the benefits, of having a general inter-connected system for the whole country, and said that until people learned now to get back to work and produce the materials required everyone would have a power supply.problem.