- New Zealand records the highest demand ever
- Parts of the North Island thrown into darkness
- Generation fails to meet demand
New Zealand has recorded its highest all-time demand on one of the coldest nights of the year. Just as demand skyrocketed, electricity generation failed to meet demand forcing several cities and towns into darkness. The national grid operator, Transpower, has declared a ”grid emergency” and also asked local distribution companies to reduce the load on their networks.
Cities and towns across the North Island were plunged into darkness on one of the coldest nights of the year after nationwide demand for electricity reached an all-time high. As a result, power generation failed to meet demand across New Zealand on Monday evening. Tens of thousands of households were affected by mass power cuts as a result.
Deborah Grey, a spokeswoman for the organisation, said that the national grid operator Transpower declared a “grid emergency” and had asked local distribution companies to reduce the load on their networks. This is the first time in 10 years that such an emergency has happened. The Minister of Energy and Resources, Megan Woods, has spoken to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Transpower, Alison Andrew, on the situation.