INCREASE IN DEMAND

Taranaki Daily News, 23 September 1940, Page 9

INCREASE IN DEMAND

POWER FOR INDUSTRIES SOUTH TARANAKI AREAS Demand from industrial concerns at Patea bad caused a large increase in the total load in the board's southern section reported Mr. J. B. Murdoch (chairman) at a meeting of the South Taranaki Power Board on Friday. Also, in addition to a natural increase in the use of electricity throughout the rest of the district, lt was probable that during the summer season an even heavier load would have to be taken, be continued. Mr. J. Lytbgoe (engineer) and Mr. Mr. Murdoch had, during a recent visit to Wellington, endeavoured to ascertain from the Public Works Department the extent to which the capacity of the present plant at Tawhiti could be enlarged until transformers on order, but delayed by war conditions, should arrive. The department's engineer had fully comprehended the difficulty of their position, reported Mr. Lythgoe, and steps were to be taken in the immediate future towards the transferring of a regulator from the Gisborne district. and the installation of a cooling system to cope with the heating caused necessanly by the overload of the peak load pei iods. Concern was expressed by the engineer at the demand for low-priced electricity for water heaters. The power supply authorities had pointed out that the charge the consumers were paying was uneconomic, he stated. The carrying capacity of some of the lines in the board's area would have to be increased soon and he considered that in the case of the increased load in the Patea district he required authority to indent a voltage regulator to cost approximately £100. In receiving confirmation of this autnority, the chairman. Mr. Murdoch. pointed out that although it had been thought that this equipment would not be required for 12 to 14 months, the extra demand on the system made its^ installation in the immediate future imperative. Mr. Lythgoe commented on the circumstances of the board's supply to the Waimate Plains district. Under the present conditions, he stated. as the area was served by only one feeder, in the case of faults occurring the wbole district was deprived of power. The district should really he divided into three areas. each equipped with automatic switching gear. so that the faulted area couTd be isolated. The board's previous policy at not making any time extensions to consumers outside the limits of its territory was reaffirmed and a recommendation of the executive that a used truck valued at £250 should be purchased was confirmed.