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Energy Minister joins ‘switched on’ celebrations
Hon Simon Bridges
Minister of Energy and Resources
03 August 2013
Media Statement
Energy Minister joins ‘switched on’ celebrations
Energy and Resources Minister Simon
Bridges today joined in celebrations in Reefton to mark the
town switching on the lights 125 years ago.
“The
story of electricity generation on the West Coast deserves
celebrating because Reefton was the first town in the
Southern Hemisphere to have a public electricity supply,”
said Mr Bridges.
“Just a few years after Thomas
Edison’s company was lighting the streets of New York, the
Reefton hydro-electric power station was supplying
electricity directly into local homes. This was an amazing
achievement.
“From those humble beginnings, New
Zealand’s electricity transmission network has grown into
a national grid of over 12,000 kilometres of lines and more
than 170 substations,” Mr Bridges says.
Mr
Bridges congratulated the Reefton Powerhouse Charitable
Trust on its planned local tourist attraction, the Reefton
Powerhouse Project.
“Electricity is something we
take for granted in our lives. This certainly wasn’t the
case 125 years ago and I’m sure visitors to Reefton will
enjoy exploring historic sites and learning more about the
town’s pivotal role in the development of hydro
power.”
ENDS
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