Wel Networks staff have been working tirelessly to ensure safety and restore power following a severe storm that hit Raglan yesterday. Steve Hull, Operations Manager at Wel Networks, provided an update on the restoration efforts.
The storm, characterised by extremely high winds and intense thunderstorms, caused significant damage to the network, affecting around 22,000 customers. Thanks to the dedicated work of the crews, the number of affected customers has been reduced to about 4,000, primarily in the Raglan area.
Three large containerised generators have been installed at the Raglan substation, with the hope of restoring power to much of the township. Steve warns that if there is a rise in demand at any point it's possible that some areas will lose power again. Some households in Raglan have already reported restoration of their power supply.
The current advice is to turn off any lights or appliances that aren’t in use.
Steve emphasised the importance of conserving energy once power is restored. The generators' capacity limits mean that conserving power can help bring electricity back to more customers. The cause of the outage is still being determined, with efforts including helicopter and drone flyovers to locate the fault - which is thought to be located somewhere between the Whatawhata and Te Uku substations.
Safety was a priority for the crews working overnight in the dangerous conditions. High winds necessitated standing down the crews at times, but substantial progress was made. Steve also noted that small generators were deployed to critical locations such as rest homes, supermarkets, and service stations.
This situation underscores the need for infrastructure improvements, which are in the planning stages and expected to be completed by 2026.
In the meantime, the community is urged to minimise power usage to facilitate a quicker and more widespread restoration of services. Steve thanked the community for their patience and support, acknowledging that the more power each household can save - the more households will have power restored.