Extreme heat, bushfire protection cause of power interruptions

Ausnet says critical bushfire protection can mean longer power outages. Local residents frustrated by repeated power outages can expect more of the same, if current hot and dry weather conditions prevail. Homes and businesses in Wangaratta and surrounds have been experiencing multiple power outages this summer, with some regional locations including parts of the King Valley losing power for up to 20 hours over Australia Day, when daytime temperatures exceeded 40 degrees. While AusNet advised callers to refer to its outage tracker for advice on expected power restoration times due to the high volume of incidents, residents found it was not updated. In response to questions over whether the essential service provider was adequately prepared and resourced to deal with incidents during extreme weather days, Ausnet said it had "a large number of crews" working to repair lines. "Our crews have been responding to a very high volume of faults across the network due to the extreme weather, and while they are working as quickly and safely as possible, we recognise that the delays have been extremely challenging," a spokesperson said. "On Total Fire Ban days, our bushfire protection system operates at its highest sensitivity to help keep communities safe. "Between 7 and 30 January, many power lines across our network detected faults and automatically disconnected power to reduce the risk of additional fires. "Before we can safely restore power, we must manually patrol the entire affected line to ensure there’s no damage. "Our Rapid Earth Fault Current Limiter (REFCL) technology also runs on its highest setting during these days. "While this provides critical bushfire protection, it can mean longer outages, as additional checks and patrols are required before power can be safely restored." AusNet said while they use advanced sensors to help locate faults, regulations require them to manually check the entire line as an extra precaution. "These steps are critical in preventing bushfires and are supported by Energy Safe Victoria," the spokesperson said. "When multiple lines disconnect across our network during extreme weather, our crews need to inspect many kilometres of lines - this means some customers experience longer restoration times than usual. " AusNet said throughout the fire period it had a large number of crews (more than 200 on some days) working to patrol and repair lines and restore power as quickly and safely as possible. It said during this period, it also had to wait for clearance from emergency services to gain safe access to many fire affected areas. "Despite our substantial response, the vast number of lines requiring inspection and repair across our network contributed to both the initial delays and the continued challenges in restoring power," it said. With no significant change to prevailing weather conditions forecast for the rest of the month, it seems further interruptions may be expected.

Extreme heat, bushfire protection cause of power interruptions

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