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Pumped Storage project update

Energy Minister Megan Woods has released a preliminary report on the ‘NZ Battery’ (Project Onslow) investigation – see here.  She is due to present the final investigation report to Cabinet in December. At this stage it looks as though a very large (1,500 MW) power station would be a possibility:  “The various tunnel options could support up to 1,500 MW, with up to six turbines/pumps of 250 MW each. For comparison, New Zealand’s largest hydro plant is Lake Manapōuri, with in...

Amendments to Electricity Industry Act extend EA’s powers

The Electricity Industry Amendment Bill has now emerged as a finalised print-out and, as previously reported, it includes several clauses that could have a profound impact on trusts. It is expected to become law shortly and the Minister says that it will take effect as soon as it’s enacted.It removes uncertainties about trust and trustee exposure to the EA’s Electricity Industry Participation Code by specifically introducing trust/trustee requirements in relation to ‘non-discrimination’ ...

Transpower’s latest report on the August/September generation balance

It looks as though the tight power supply/demand balance we are experiencing will continue into next month, according to Transpower’s forecasting. NEW ZEALAND GENERATION BALANCE AUGUST 2022 REPORT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This month’s New Zealand Generation Balance report forecasts, for the base scenario in the next six months, a total of 16 potential generation shortfalls where the system may not have sufficient capacity to cover, over a high peak, the loss of the largest generator or HVDC pole if...

Transpower’s 9 August warning generation not meeting system safety margin

Transpower, as ‘System Operator’, maintains a register of current and live data on the electricity supply situation. It’s useful to be aware of this as, with a bit of practise, you can keep abreast of the risks facing your customers and beneficiaries when problems (such as this week’s Customer Advice Notice from Transpower surface. Click here to access data.You’ll find the following links at that site. As a general guide:Notices for Insufficient Generation provide fairly arcane informa...