Urgent Need To Conserve Power

Thursday, 26 July 2001, 4:15 pm
Press Release: Auckland Chamber of Commerce

- Business owners and managers - ask staff to conserve power.
- Mayors, Councils and Regional Councils - look at options to reduce street lighting....

Hitting the conservation button right now - today - is the call to businesses and councils from Michael Barnett, Chief Executive of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce.

“While politicians and power companies fight over who is responsible for the sudden rise in the cost of power, it is very plain that the crisis is being fuelled by low water levels in the South Island’s lakes - the power is sitting on the hillsides in the form of snow.”

Until the snow melts and spring rains arrive, it is obvious the nation is going to have to conserve power, and that’s the call that business and regional leaders should be making, said Mr Barnett.

Tomorrow’s power summit and urgent passage of legislation in Parliament might sort out the process and generation issues afflicting the industry, but that won’t deal to the immediate issue of ensuring the available electricity resources can last as long as possible.

If every business, household and council could ensure every non-essential light and power switch was turned off, a considerable saving in power would result.

Mercury Energy in Auckland should be congratulated for anticipating the winter supply shortage by offering customers a bonus for saving power. Mr Barnett called on other power companies to follow Mercury’s example.

“This is a situation in which the community good comes ahead of the company interest.”

Ends

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