Transpower issued two "low residual" customer advice notices on Tuesday. File photo. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
Power shortages have been averted, with Transpower saying generators responded to their call for more energy production on Tuesday night.
The national grid operator issued two low residual customer advice notices to generators for late Tuesday and early Wednesday, saying electricity would be tight amid further sub-zero temperatures around parts of the country.
Transpower now says the notice has now been lifted, and there is enough power available for the morning's peak.
A fault at a gas field in the North Island earlier sparked the warnings, according to Meridian.
The national grid operator had issued the two "low residual" customer advice notices on Tuesday, explaining that electricity generation was "tight" amid further sub-zero temperatures around parts of the country.
The notices were in place between 5.30pm and 8pm Tuesday and again for Wednesday between 7am and 8.30am.
A similar notice was issued by Transpower in August last year, warning power companies they may be unable to meet demand if there are any unexpected failures in the North Island amid freezing overnight temperatures around much of the country.
A more serious grid emergency notice was issued earlier this year as the result of an "unusually strong solar storm".
A Transpower spokesperson said the notices were issued as part of its procedures working with industry with the electricity supply stretched "due to the ongoing cold snap".
Meridian general manager of wholesale Chris Ewers told RNZ he understood a fault at a major gas field in the North Island had occurred.
"As a result it's taken out some generation with it in the North Island.
"The power system relies on generation supply and demand."
Transpower has a three stage notice that escalates and Ewers said it never got above the first stage Tuesday night.
"They called the industry together yesterday, we all did our individual responses and actually it's looking very comfortable this morning as we go through this morning's peak."
Wintry blast 'good news' for hydro lake levels
Meridian said the ongoing wintry blast that had moved up the country in recent days had brought welcome relief to dwindling hydro lake levels in the South Island.
Last month, national grid operator Transpower said hydro storage lake levels were the lowest they had been in more than 20 years.
Lake Pukaki in inland Canterbury was recorded at historic lows only a few weeks ago.
It has continued to rise steadily and it is now less than two metres below average for this time of year
Ewers said snowfall had helped replenish the lakes in the Waitaki catchment.
Last week hydro levels sat at 83 percent of its average levels, but heavy dumpings of snow had propelled it up to 105 percent.
"When it comes to topping up lake levels, snow is just as welcome as rain.
"While rain almost immediately helps increase the level of Lake Pūkaki, all that snow on the mountains above the lake is invaluable later in the year when the temperature heats up and rain becomes less frequent.
"It's like having another lake."
Ewers said hydro catchment capacity was looking good for the next three to six months.
"The lakes are lifting very fast and we're actually only a couple of metres below average on our main storage lake...and we're still in September."
There was plenty of time before next Winter for it to pick up, he said.
