Forecast heatwaves, strong winds and wet weather could cause power outages this summer that will be especially inconvenient as the state starts to recover from the impact of COVID-19.
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While La Nina means there will be fewer extreme heat days than last summer, it could result in longer and more humid heatwaves and flooding - all of this could affect Powercor's ability to manage the electricity network.
Powercor has invested millions of dollars this year into ensuring network inspections, maintenance and testing work on the electricity distribution networks across western Victoria are completed ahead of summer, but they want the community to be prepared too.
Powercor and CitiPower General Manager, Electricity Networks, Mark Clarke, said crews had been working through the year to ensure the network would be reliable.
"It takes significant effort. It has been our biggest year ever in terms of preparation ahead of summer and the bushfire season," he said.
It has been our biggest year ever in terms of preparation ahead of summer and the bushfire season
- Mark Clarke
While prolonged humidity could mean people will use cooling devices for longer periods - putting pressure on the network - he added that power outages could occur from extreme weather but also from planned outages this summer.
No matter the cause, he said he understood any outage would be particularly inconvenient this year.
"With more people working from home than ever before and businesses trying to recover, any kind of power outage will be inconvenient," he said.
In preparation for the fire season, Powercor has conducted LiDAR scanning over Ballarat, with aircraft stationed out of Ballarat airport for a number of weeks.
This scanning pinpoints where vegetation is too close to powerlines so it can be cut before it causes an issue.
Powercor will also switch on two Rapid Earth Fault Current Limiters (REFCLs) in the city by the end of the month.
These devices work like a large safety switch and reduce the risk of fires starting from faults on 22kV multi-wire powerlines.
Last year, the 10 RECFLs in service activated over 110 times on 17 Total Fire Ban days.
Mr Clarke said network safety devices, such as REFCLs, were set to their most sensitive fault detection settings on extreme weather days; meaning they were likely to activate more often.
As crews needed to patrol the networks to locate a fault before power is switched back on, restoration times could take longer.
While a fleet of generators acquired to help minimise the impacts of planned power outages for customers during COVID-19 restrictions are now stationed across Powercor's 13 regional depots and can be deployed in response to major outages caused by extreme weather in summer, the company wants the community to be prepared too.
"The generators will help further reduce the number of minutes customers are off supply when we respond to unexpected or unplanned outages," he said.
While the network is in a better position to withstand the challenges summer could bring after works undertaken this year, power supplies could still be impacted.
Jo Pafumi, General Manager, Corporate Affairs encouraged customers to plan for the summer.
She encouraged people to plan for power outages - both planned works and unexpected weather events - by keeping devices charged, having back- up energy ready and pre-cooling their homes.
She added that customers could prevent bill shock caused by high summer bills by shopping around to get the best plan and using electricity off-peak for the lowest cost.
Customers can be both energy-efficient and comfortable by switching appliances off at the plug, keeping rooms shaded from sun and heat and keeping the air conditioner at between 24 and 26 degrees.
More information www.powercor.com.au/lineylessons