New Zealand has broken its winter electricity use record for a second straight day as freezing temperatures drove power use even higher this morning.
Average electricity use reached 7415MW during this morning's peak, surpassing yesterday's record of 7247MW by 168MW — roughly equivalent to the electricity used by Hamilton.
Transpower chief executive James Kilty said the combination of bitterly cold temperatures and low wind conditions had placed significant pressure on the electricity system, particularly in the upper North Island.
"The very cold temperatures across the motu, and particularly in the top of the North Island, combined with low wind meant that while it was particularly tight on the electricity system, the power stayed on for Kiwis," he said.
Auckland experienced its coldest day in five years on Thursday - with -2.5C recorded at Whenuapai Airport, while Mount Cook airport recorded a low of –10C this morning.
Temperatures noticeably plummeted earlier this week and have continued to stay cold across the country, prompting some traffic chaos in Dunedin and rare snow flurries in Wellington.
Earlier this week, Transpower issued a series of notices to electricity sector participants as part of its standard operating procedures, warning of the expected spike in demand.
Kilty thanked generators for maximising available generation, large industrial users who reduced demand during this morning's peak, lines companies that stood ready to remove controllable load if required, and Transpower's transmission teams for ensuring the national grid and HVDC link were prepared.
"We are keeping a close eye on the cold temperatures tonight and particularly tomorrow morning when we are expecting similar levels of electricity demand."
The record demand comes as charities report growing numbers of households struggling to afford heating amid the cold snap, with power prices up about 177% since 1999, according to Consumer NZ.
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