Co-operation dims threat of cold showers

Power cuts to the top of the South Island are looking less likely with plans being launched this week to manage peak loads.

The measures come as frosty weather is pushing electricity demand higher.

Lines companies north of Timaru have decided to share their electricity allocation across all regions because of potential grid constraints in the top half of the South Island.

Power supply into the upper half of the island could be constrained from 5pm to 7pm, when commercial and residential demand overlaps.

Marlborough, Nelson and North Canterbury consumers have been using more power than was allocated to them and would have been among the first to suffer any power cuts.

Network Tasman chief executive Wayne Mackey said yesterday that the plan was to share the allocation more equally and to manage energy loads more efficiently, making cuts less likely.

Although frosty weather was expected to push up morning electricity demand this week, it was not likely to be a problem for the critical late-afternoon period.

Transpower lines, which feed the top half of the South Island, have a total capacity of 1030MW and some users could face cuts if demand tops that.

However, plans outlined late last week by the Electricity Commission have made it increasingly unlikely cuts will be necessary.

A variety of actions are being taken to manage peak loads on the system and were expected to be in place by today, Electricity Commission chairman Roy Hemmingway said.

Power consumption in the area reached about 870MW at 6pm on Monday and peaked at 943MW yesterday morning as frosty conditions bumped temperatures below zero.

Transpower communications manager Chris Roberts said consumption had reached 950 MW several times this year and peaked at 960MW on May 27.

Transpower told lines companies to manage things like hot water heating if demand came within 20MW of the 1030 MW total.

- NZPA