Residents in the far west of New South Wales (NSW) are bracing for extended power outages after a critical generator failure, which comes after severe weather that brought down key transmission towers in the area.
The outage is expected to continue till late evening on Oct. 22.
The outage, which began at 5 p.m. on Oct 21, has left Broken Hill and several surrounding properties without electricity, causing significant disruptions to daily life.
Meanwhile as per the NSW government, a planned outage is set for Oct. 23, during the same hours.
Six schools in the region have been closed, and thousands of residents are being urged to minimise power use.
Transgrid’s executive general manager, Marie Jordan, explained that the generator powering the region had overheated and shut down.
“We had anticipated being able to start repairs last night, but the actual heat and carbon monoxide inside the generator delayed our ability to even get in and inspect it,” Jordan told ABC Broken Hill.
Despite having two generators to power Broken Hill, only one remains operational after the other, which had recently undergone a service, unexpectedly malfunctioned.
She further explained that eight additional generators are en route, with plans to provide six megawatts of power by Oct. 22, and another six the day after.
In a statement issued on Oct. 20, the NSW government announced a series of planned outages to allow for essential maintenance of the large-scale backup generator.
These planned outages are necessary to maintain the generator’s performance, with the first scheduled for tonight, cutting power from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Australian Central Daylight Time (ACDT).
The affected areas include Broken Hill, Tibooburra, Wilcannia, Menindee, White Cliffs, and other nearby communities. Residents are encouraged to provide their mobile phone numbers to electricity retailers so they can receive text message updates about the outages.
Transgrid is currently working on constructing temporary towers to replace the damaged ones, but the project could take weeks to complete.
In the meantime, households and businesses are urged to minimise their electricity usage between 5:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. each evening to reduce strain on the generator. Simple measures, such as turning off non-essential appliances and limiting air conditioning, can help alleviate demand.
Despite the challenging conditions, efforts by the community to reduce power consumption have allowed the generator to maintain electricity supply for the Far West region during peak periods. Essential Energy is working to install additional generators in the coming days to strengthen power supply to the affected areas.
The NSW government is coordinating an emergency response across various agencies and is working closely with Transgrid and Essential Energy to resolve the crisis. Travellers are advised to avoid the affected areas unless absolutely necessary, as the situation remains fluid.
Residents are encouraged to stay updated with power restoration efforts and take necessary precautions during the scheduled outages.
