NZ power crisis

Canberra Times
Wednesday 11/6/2008 Page: 10

New Zealanders will be urged to wash dishes by hand and turn off some of their household lights as the country teeters on the brink of a power crisis caused by drought. After two years of dry weather, the low level of water in lakes that drive New Zealand's hydroelectric power plants is causing concern.

The Energy Minister, David Parker, has denied claims that the country was facing rolling power cuts, but said that unless there was significant rainfall soon, households would be asked to cut electricity consumption by up to 15 per cent during the peak early-evening time. hydroelectric stations usually produce about 75 per cent of New Zealand's electricity but lack of rainfall has reduced that output in recent weeks to 50 per cent.