Western Australia’s electricity industry is ready to face its most challenging time of year - summer.  Read the 2007/08 Summer Readiness Report.

Several initiatives and projects over the past 12 months (as of 22 Dec 2007) have improved the power grid’s preparedness for the extremes of summer.

Western Power’s unprecedented $100 million works program have seen the construction of four new substations and the installation of six new large transformers.

Enough generation capacity is available to meet the expected demand over the summer months.

There has been a 10% increase in overall electricity use last summer and a similar rise was expected this year, particularly with the big increase in the use of air-conditioners.

Residential air-conditioners in Australia can contribute up to 50% of electricity demand on days of extreme summer peak load and this significantly adds to the risk of overloads on the network.

The major works completed by Western Power for this summer include:

• new substations at Henley Brook ($11.1million), Waikiki ($8.9million), Bibra Lake ($13.3million) and Bentley ($15.7million);
• new transformers in substations at Morley ($3.1million), Yokine ($3.6milion), Padbury ($2.85million), Amherst ($3million), Byford ($3.7million) and Katanning ($2.3million);
• upgrade of Southern Terminal ($800,000);
• new feeders at Padbury, Morley, Waikiki, Kalamunda, Henley Brook, Northam and Bibra Lake;
• network reinforcement at Mullalloo, Yanchep and Denmark;
• upgrade work at Nedlands, Southern River, Gosnells and Canning Vale; and
• replacement of 214 distribution transformers ($6.7million).

Horizon Power is also well prepared for summer in regional and cyclone-prone areas of the State, and has prepared its systems for the extremes in environmental conditions.  However, in very extreme conditions, as might occur when cyclones pass over major settlements or when there is severe flooding, some level of power failure may be unavoidable.

To deal with these extreme circumstances, Horizon Power has plans in place to minimise power loss and to quickly restore power. These include a cyclone response plan and emergency response plans for each of its sites, together with a corporate crisis management plan to cover such eventualities.