1).—1.

There are ninety-two local electric-supply authorities directly engaged in the retail sale of electricity, and the following table shows the proportion using Government-generated power : —

(a) Included in these supply areas are 54 boroughs and 36 town districts. (b) Included in these supply areas are 23 boroughs and 11 town districts. (c) Palmerston North, Wellington, and Christchurcb. (d) Nelson, Dunedin, and Invercargill. (e) Exclusive of 77 boroughs and 47 town districts incorporated as constituent parts of Power Board supply areas. On the 19th March, 1936, the Otago Central Electric-power Board's hydro station on Roaring Meg River was officially opened. During the year Kaikoura County Council installed a 40 kw. Diesel generating-set as an addition to its present installed capacity of 37 kw. of suction-gas plant. Palmerston North City Council has recently commenced the installation of a 2,000 kw. Diesel plant,.* The total installed capacity (excluding standby plant) has increased by 1,649 kw. during the year, being at present 235,403 kw. The increase is due to Otago Central Power Board's 1,600 kw. installation on the Roaring Meg River, and to Kaikoura County Council's additional Diesel plant. The proportion of installed plant is now as follows :— Stations. Kilowatts. P ro P° rt >° n per Cent. Water-power (excluding 11 standby installations) .. ..36 234,425 99'55 Steam-power (excluding standby plants at Portland (3,190 kw.), Auckland (41,160 kw.), Wanganui (1,500 kw.), Wellington (10,000 kw.), Invercargill (1,975 kw.), Gisborne (350 kw.), Waihi,f Huntly (1,500 kw.), Dunedin (1,875 kw.), Christchurch (1,500 kw.), Nelson (500 kw.), Petone (516 kw.), Hokitika (625 kw.) : totalling 64,691 kw.) .. .. .. I 750 0-32 Gas-power (excluding standby plant Palmerston North (1,020 kw.), Westport (210 kw.), Kaikoura (37 kw.), Taihape (75 kw.), Franklin (187 kw.) : totalling 1,529 kw.) .. .. .. 0 Oil-power (excluding standby plants at Penrose (3,750 kw.), Lyttelton (5,760 kw.), Dunedin (860 kw.), Blenheim (456 kw.), Hastings (1,087 kw.), Gisborne (980 kw.), Ashburton (160 kw.), Napier (500 kw.), Thames (262 kw.), Opunake (148 kw.), Ohakune (113 kw.), Hawera (485 kw.), Oamaru (192 kw.), New Plymouth (350 kw.), Hokitika (Kanieri) (150 kw.), Hokitika (200 kw.), Motueka (110 kw.), Patea (64 kw.), Reefton (80 kw.), Petone (316 kw.), Rawene (20 kw.): totalling 16,047 kw.) .. .. .. .. ..4 228 0-13 Total .. .. .. .. ..41 235,403 100-00 The number of consumers supplied has increased from 342,334 to 355,973, an increase of 13,639, or 4 per cent., for the year. The total population included in the various electric-supply areas is 1,461,770, or 93 per cent, of the total population of the Dominion, so that the ideal of a supply being available to every home in the Dominion is well on the way to realization. The maximum demand per head of population in the areas supplied now exceeds the allocation of 0-15 kw., or 0-2 horse-power, per head of population, the original basis of the design of the Government schemes. Table X shows, for each supply authority, the average maximum demand per consumer. The units sold per head of population supplied were 531, as compared with 493 last year. (See footnote on Table X.) The total length of transmission and distribution line in service is 22,424 route-miles, as compared with 21,707 last year, an increase of 717 miles, or 3-29 per cent. This fact would seem to indicate that there is a steady demand for the extension of electric lines to meet the requirements of the rural areas. The number of consumers per route-mile is 15-87, as compared with 15-72 last year.

* Westland Power, Ltd., purchased a 625 kw. turbo-alternator set from the Blackball Coal Co. and re-erected same at Hokitika as auxiliary to the hydro-station at Dillman's. f 1,640 kw. plant partially dismantled at present.

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Class of Local Authority controlling „ Using Using Electric-supply System. Government Non-Government J ' Supply. Supply. Number. Number. Power Board .. . . . . . . 28 (a) 12(b) City Council operating own reticulation . . 3 (c) 3 (d) Borough Council operating own reticulation . . 13 (e) 16 (e) County Council operating own reticulation . . 2 3 Town Board operating own reticulation . . 2 (e) 3 (e) Company . . .. .. .. . . 5 Private . . .. . . .. .. 1 Tourist Department .. . . .. ] Totals .. .. .. .. 49 I 43 1 ' 92