Power providers prepared for summer storm season

Mines and Energy Minister Geoff Wilson said today that Energex and Ergon Energy were ready to tackle the summer storm season.

Minister Wilson said more than 2,000 Energex emergency crews and support staff and 1600 trucks were ready to respond to power interruptions in south east Queensland this summer.

The Minister said Energex had set aside a record $555 million for capital works and maintenance in the lead up to summer and had boosted the capacity of its network.

“The extra capacity is equivalent to half the power use of the entire Gold Coast region on a normal spring day,” he said.

“This year, for the first time, Energex crews will be using a new Australian-first mobile satellite navigation system which has been rolled out across the south east.

“The $22 million system will help crews locate and restore power outages faster and more safely.

All rapid response vehicles are equipped with the new satellite laptop system. The moment after Energex receives notice of a power outage, a case is generated at the call centre, evaluated, and immediately despatched to rapid response crews in the field. The system identifies the closest crew to the job and provides the quickest route to get there.

Minister Wilson said Ergon Energy had ramped up its preparations for the storm and cyclone season.

“Ergon Energy is in the third year of a five-year capital works program that is delivering a massive $3.2 billion boost to the network,” he said.

“They have recruited and trained extra staff especially for the storm season.

Ergon Energy has two new multi-million dollar control centres in Townsville and Rockhampton.

“These world class centres will revolutionise the way Ergon Energy responds to emergencies in regional Queensland,” Mr Wilson said.

“For the first time, control centre operators in Townsville and Rockhampton will have control of almost all of Ergon Energy network.

“That’s no mean feat when you consider a network of around a million power poles, 150,000 kilometres of powerlines and more than 300 substations across 97% of the state.

“These super control centres will be the network’s nerve centre and either one of them will be able to take over in an emergency.

“Queenslanders from Cooktown to Coolangatta can draw comfort from the fact that when storms hit this summer, Energex and Ergon Energy will be ready for action.

“I urge residents to take precautions too,” Mr Wilson said.

“Secure loose items around the yard, trim overhead tree branches that are away from power lines and keep a torch and battery-operated radio handy.

“They’re simple steps, but ones that could prove life saving when severe storms strike this summer,” he said.

Media Inquiries: Ellen McIntyre 3225 1819