The organisation responsible for overseeing the country’s electricity grid has been stung with a $150,000 fine after a miscalculation caused a power cut to a section of the North Island during one of the coldest days of 2021.
The switch-off resulted in more than 34,000 households in the central North Island losing power, due to a reduction in wind generation and weed blocking an inlet at the Tokaanu hydro dam, paired with the highest demand for electricity on record.
According to a decision of the Electricity Rulings Panel, around 6.23pm on August 9, 2021, Transpower recorded its “highest demand peak on record” of 7157 megawatts nationwide.
A grid emergency had been declared prior to this point; electricity generators were warned there would be insufficient generation between 5.30pm and 8pm that day.