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APPENDIX D. ANNUAL REPORT ON ELECTRICAL WORK AND POWER-SUPPLY UNDERTAKINGS BY THE CHIEF ELECTRICAL ENGINEER. The Chief Electrical Engineer to the Minister of Public Works. Sir, — Public Works Department, Wellington, 31st May, 1918. 1 have the honour to submit the following report respecting the development of waterpower by the State, the issue of licenses for the utilization of water-power by other parties, and for the distribution of electricity : — Lake Coleridge Works. This plant first started regular running on the Ist March, 1915, so that the period covered by this report is the first year of operation. In view of this, the results which have been attained are eminently satisfactory. Not only has the plant reached the stage of paying working-expenses within the first year, but the financial success of the undertaking has been fully assured. The plant now installed at Lake Coleridge consists of three generators each of 2,000 horsepower capacity, but during the past year the maximum load has only reached 1,770 horse-power, and has thus been easily carried by one of the three generators. Nevertheless this one generator, running for the greater portion of the year only partially loaded, has earned ,£8,260 — i.e., £4, 13s. 4d. per horse-power of maximum load. At the end of the year it was earning at the rate of £5 2s. 6d. per horse-power per annum. The existing plant has a working-capacity, with one unit in reserve, of 4,000 horse-power, and, at the same rates, an earning-acapacity of £18,007 to £20,500 per -annum. The capital liability at the beginning of the year was £275,631. The additional liability incurred on capital during the year was £54,088, making the total capital liability at the end of the year £329,719. Contracts already entered into but not yet in operation include commitments which will bring up the demand considerably in excess of the above 4,000 horse-power, and it has therefore been necessary at this early stage of operation to increase the plant capacity, and an order has been placed for a unit of 2,000 h.p. which, when installed, will increase the plant from 6,000 h.p. to 8,000 h.p., and will increase the working-capacity from 4,000 h.p. to 6,000 h.p., leaving one unit in reserve in each case. Moreover, orders have recently been placed for a fifth unit of 4,000 h.p., together with pipe-line and accessories, which will increase the workingcapacity of the plant to 8,000 h.p. The following is a list of the contracts already entered into : — E[orse-power. Christchuroh City Council ... ... ... ... ... 2,500 Christchurch Tramway Board ... ... ~. ... ... 2,000 , v » Christchurch Meat Company (meat-works) ... ... ... ... 700 Borthwick and Sons (meat-works),... ... ... ... ... 300 North Canterbury Freezing Company (meat-works) ... ... ... 300 Lyttelton Harbour Board ... .. ... ... ~'. 250 Wood Bros, (flour-mill) ... ... ... ... ... 150 Ricoarton Flour-mill ... ... ... ... ... ... 75 Woolston Tanneries ... ... ... ... ... ... 600 Walter Hill's Tanneries ... ... ... ... ... ... 75 G. L. Bowron and Co. ... ... ... ... ... ... 50 Central Dairy Company ... ... ... ... ... ... 75 Tai Tapu Dairy Company ... ... ... ... ... 5(1 Wright, Stephenson, and Co. (seed-cleaning) ... ... ... 50 Canterbury Seed Company (malt-house) ... ... ... ... 30 Sunnyside Hospital ... ... ... ... ... . . 50 Cashmere Sanatorium ... ... .... ... ... ... 25 Local authorities (for distribution) — Tai Tapu ... ... ... ... ... ... ~ 120 Lincoln ... ... ... ... ... ... 50 Waimairi County ... ... ... ... ... .. 180 Heathcote County ... ... ... ... .., , 100 Paparua County ... ... ... ... ... ~ 80 Riccarton Borough ... ... ... ... ... ... 80 Spreydon Borough ... ... ... ... ... ~, g0 Lyttelton Borough ... ' ... ... ... .., ... 100 Sumner Borough ... ... ... ... ... 50 New Brighton Borough ... ... ... 50 Kaiapoi Borough ... ... ... ... ... ... 50 Christchurch Brick Company ... ... ..." ... 50 Other consumers (say) ... ... ... ... ... 150 8,400