Lights out?
Cold snap pushes power demand to the brink
Transpower is this morning closely monitoring the country’s power demand, as parts of Wellington last night dropped to subzero temperatures and this morning households were warned to be judicious with heaters.
Transpower staff were to meet at 6am to assess the electricity situation and decide whether to declare a grid emergency, while households are asked to conserve energy between 7am and 9am to avoid power cuts.
The electricity system operator said a polar blast affecting the country had coincided with multiple generating facilities having maintenance, which had stressed the system.
Last night opposition energy spokesperson Megan Woods rejected criticism from Energy Minister Simeon Brown that the previous Labour government’s decision not to issue new offshore gas exploration permits had led to supply issues.
Said Brown yesterday, “We are asking customers ... to turn the lights off. That is not good ... we’ve inherited an energy system which is in crisis.”
Transpower had asked power generators to make more electricity available while asking that customers reduce consumption, by turning off heaters and lights in rooms not being used, delaying the use of appliances, as well as avoiding charging devices and EVs.
It warned that if households didn’t cut their power use, it might have to switch off supply to some areas.
The country faced similar grid capacity issues in 2022 with cold conditions prompting warnings of potential for power cuts.
Jeremy Holmes, of Wellington Region Emergency Management Office, said it was a timely reminder that power cuts could happen at any time.
“Whether from a cold snap, storm or earthquake, it’s important for everyone to have a plan for what they would do without power.
“If you or a member of your whare/ household is dependent on critical electrical equipment, ensure you have a backup plan and connect with friends and whānau so they know your plan.”
One Wellington commuter The Post spoke to last night was planning to cut back this morning. “This morning I turned on my heater, lights and a shower ... I’ll probably not turn the heater on tomorrow morning.”
Another commuter, Reuben Radford, would be turning on the kettle in the morning for his morning cup of tea but he wouldn’t have to skimp on a hot shower.
“We’re quite fortunate that our water heating is through gas,” he told The Post yesterday.
The cold blast is set to continue for a few days as southerly winds are expected to pick up again tonight. MetService forecasters expected sub-zero temperatures this morning for some inland areas such as Upper Hutt and Wairarapa.
“Upper Hutt might get down to negative three degrees, Masterton is forecast for a low of minus two,” meteorologist Lewis Ferris said.
“Saturday we will still be holding on to some southerly winds with some potential showers still hanging around in the morning.”
Sunday’s forecast was for finer weather with overnight temperatures due to warm a little.
“That is not good ... we’ve inherited an energy system which is in crisis.”
Simeon Brown, Energy Minister