WA; Businesses close, others left confused by power shortage

AAP General News (Australia)
02-18-2004
WA; Businesses close, others left confused by power shortage

By Holly Nott

PERTH, Feb 18 AAP - Some West Australian businesses have shut for the day and others
were left confused by a Western Power directive to cut all non-essential power use, the
Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA (CCIWA) said today.

Western Power today warned rolling blackouts may be employed because it will be unable
to generate enough electricity to meet today's anticipated high demand.

For the past two days the power supplier has reported record energy consumption as
temperatures hovered about the 40 degree mark.

Domestic, commercial and industrial electricity customers in WA's south-west have been
asked to cut their energy use to essential purposes only after the utility issued a System
Emergency.

Bill Sashegyi, industry policy director for CCIWA, said the Western Power directive
could cost the state's economy millions of dollars.

Mr Sashegyi said he personally knew of about five large businesses that had been forced
to close for the day.

"You send your workers home but the salaries still need to be paid, not only do you
have lost production but most of the costs are still there," he said.

"Especially those in the critical areas which have critical processes where continuity
of electricity supply is critical or it results in large losses to them.

"Everyone else is trying to do the right thing but they're unsure as to what it is
they should be doing."

Mr Sashegyi said the blanket directive to cut power usage would have been more effective
had it targeted specific types of usage, or been introduced in phases.

"I suppose you would have expected a plan in place to say we are going to be targeting
certain sorts of customers in certain sorts of circumstances as the problems increased.

"But this means that everybody is supposed to stop doing everything straight away."

AAP hn/cmc/br

KEYWORD: HEAT WA BUSINESS

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