By ALENA HIGGINS
ERGON Energy has defended its decision to continue pursuing easements for a second power line from Warwick to Stanthorpe, despite failing to include it as an option in the second regulatory test.
Responding to criticism by a local landholder whose property fell along one of the five short-listed line routes, an Ergon spokesman said the purpose of the second test was to identify “cost effective alternatives” to the new $60 million 110kV line that Ergon proposed as a solution to Stanthorpe’s limitation of power in the first Regulatory Test.
“Four options were put forward,” he said.
“Ultimately, none of these were adopted because the voltage regulator was installed and refurbishment works have been carried out on the 33kV feeder during the regulatory test to support maintenance works on the 110kV line, as part of improvement of security of supply in the area.
“Ergon continued to work towards securing the second line route because the submissions to the regulatory test in isolation would only have deferred the need for a second line, not avoided it.
“That only became possible as a result of these options, as well as the new demand forecasts, changed security criteria and installation of the voltage regulator.”
The spokesman said the energy provider did discontinue work towards the second line route once the revised demand figures and security criteria were known, pending a formal decision to discontinue the project made just before the public announcement.
Minister for Energy Mark McArdle issued a statement on 13 September saying plans for a second high-voltage power line had been sent to the scrap heap, citing a decline in demand and changes to “gold plating” as reasons behind the move.
instead, a $225,000 voltage regulator was commissioned at Dalveen.
When asked about the cost to come to the three-year conclusion, the Ergon spokesman said it had “not been calculated as yet,” but would “only a small fraction of the funds saved by not proceeding with the project”.
“While the planning work has come to an end, the community consultation will be ongoing for some time yet,” he said.
“We will continue to engage with landholders along the five previously short-listed routes and also be active in the Stanthorpe region to explain to businesses, farmers and residents how our revised plans will provide them with a safe, secure and reliable power supply.
“Some of the network planning originally done for a second line route has been used in preparing the revised plan.”
