NSW residents have been asked to consider turning off their airconditioning, and delay using non-essential appliances on Thursday night, as a brutal heatwave strains the state’s energy supply.
A heatwave warning from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) is currently in place, with temperatures in western Sydney set to hit 40C, and the mercury rising to 37C in Sydney.
The high temperatures has caused the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) to forecast a forecast Lack of Reserve 2 (LOR2) for NSW, which warns of a “significant reduction” in predetermined electricity reserve levels, with electricity usage expected to peak between 5pm to 9pm.
NSW Energy Minister Penny Sharpe implored households to help ease the strain on the energy network by limiting their non-essential energy usage during Thursday’s peak, however stressed it was a “precautionary measure”.
She asked people to turn off their pool pumps between 5pm to 9pm, or delay starting their dishwashers, dryers and washing machines until tomorrow morning.
“Every small bit of action that we take will make it much easier to make sure that the grid stays on and there’s not a problem,” she said.
“No one is forced to do any of this. We’re just simply saying, when you go home tonight, if you don’t need to use your dryer, or you don’t need to put the dishwasher on until tomorrow morning, just please do that.”
Ms Sharpe said she had been told a unit had gone out at one of the state’s coal-fired power station, which contributed to the strain, however she said this wasn’t “unusual” activity.
While there is no impact to consumers predicted at this time, AEMO’s warning issues a call to generators to feed more energy supply into the grid, or for large commercial consumers to reduce their energy usage.
Government agencies have also been asked to reduce their electricity use, including switching off non-essential lights, and reducing their airconditioning where safe and feasible.
Ms Sharpe warned NSW may experience further energy supply shortfalls as the summer progresses. The government will be analysing how reductions in energy usage during peak periods can impact demand on the grid, using Thursday night as an example.
“We’re going to have hotter days over the summer, and particularly when we head into February when everyone is back at work, and we’re no longer on school holidays,” she said.
“Three or four days of hot weather will make it very tough for people, so partly this is about working through those issues today… and looking at what else we can do as things actually get a bit more challenging.”
More to come