New Zealanders have done well to achieve electricity savings of almost seven percent but must not let up in their efforts to cut power use, says Energy Minister Pete Hodgson.

"Recent rain in the South Island is welcome but it increases hydro storage by a little less than a day's worth of electricity consumption," Mr Hodgson said. "The risk of a supply crisis in coming weeks has not lessened significantly and it remains very important to pursue the target of 10 percent savings nationwide."

Mr Hodgson called a week ago for savings in electricity consumption of ten percent for ten weeks to avert a supply crisis. Savings have risen over the week and reached 6.8 percent yesterday.

"National hydro storage was down to 57 percent of average yesterday. We are still looking down the barrel of a supply crisis if lake inflows stay low and we do not save power. It will take more than a few days of rain to turn this situation around."

Mr Hodgson is due to meet electricity industry and consumer representatives again on Monday at 1.30pm to discuss progress in addressing the supply situation and related issues.

For statistics on electricity consumption and hydro storage see www.m-co.co.nz

Ends

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>