Expensive comfort: Turning on the air-conditioner on a hot day
can double the daily demand for electricity among those who have it
installed, says EnergyAustralia, while those without air-conditioning
on the same day will increase electricity use only slightly.
Trend increases risk of blackouts: On very hot days,
air-conditioner use contributes greatly to spikes in demand for
electricity which existing power stations will soon find it hard to
meet. If peak demand is too high, there could be blackouts – and
another blot on the Iemma Government’s reputation for competence. “No
wonder it is rushing to announce new power stations. But are they the
right ones?” said the article.
The Sydney Morning Herald, 9/12/2005, p. 14
Source: Erisk – www.erisk.net