Newfoundland power system outages soon to end

Rolling power outages on Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula are soon to end, according to utility officials. 

"We are confident that we will return to full system stability tonight and into tomorrow," Nalcor CEO Ed Martin told reporters at Confederation Building on Wednesday afternoon. 

Martin said rolling power outages on the Avalon were continuing while utility crews brought a generator at Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro's Holyrood plant back online. 

"Bringing this unit on very responsibility, I thought is was prudent to start some rolling blackouts," said Martin. 

"If I was more of a lay person, I'd say we're back. [But] being responsible for the system, I can't say that to my people. I have to go through the checks and balances. I can say that it's going as we would expect." 

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro has already ended rotating outages in coastal communities on the Northern Peninsula and the Baie Verte Peninsula. 

With the return of colder weather on Wednesday morning, Hydro officials said there was a jump in demand on the system, and they expected a higher demand again between four and eight o'clock. 

"'Conserve, conserve, conserve' has been my line for a week, we've got to keep it going," said Earl Ludlow, Newfoundland Power's president and CEO said. 

Wednesday was the first day of rotating power outages since Monday, and officials expected the outages to affect only the Avalon Peninsula. 

Nalcor, Hydro meet with PUB

Earlier on Wednesday,  Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro and Nalcor met with the province's Public Utilities Board.

The regulatory board has wanted to know what went wrong and what has disabled the island's electrical system for days. 

"We've been obviously collecting our information," said Nalcor president Ed Martin. "It's a good time for us to go over and give a more in-depth view."

"They [the Public Utilities Board] may have some thoughts and suggestions which would be welcomed."    

Martin said Wednesday's meeting was the start of a process of exchanging information with the board.