Ex-Vector chief to head power crisis group

By CHRIS DANIELS

Patrick Strange, former head of Auckland lines company Vector, has been appointed head of a power industry group designed to co-ordinate the sector in the event of another winter power crisis.

Strange, who lost his job following Vector's purchase of the neighbouring UnitedNetworks lines company, will head the Winter Power Taskforce.

In a statement issued by the industry's Grid Security Committee, Strange said his focus was on minimising the possibility of a shortage this winter and that he "would not be engaging in any wider debates about the appropriate structure of the electricity market". Analysing what happened last year, or what should be done next year, did not help the country this year, he said.

A week ago, New Zealand's hydro storage was 78 per cent of the average for this time of the year.

State-owned generator Genesis says it has been asked by Energy Minister Pete Hodgson to stockpile coal to help run its Huntly station harder if there is not enough rain to keep the lakes full this winter.

In the last dry winter, 2001, Genesis and Contact were able to draw on fuel from the Maui gas field to run their thermal power stations harder.

The depletion of the Maui field means they can no longer do this.