Wellington Electricity wants to be able to sling emergency wiring over power poles in the immediate aftermath of another big quake.
That is because 63 percent of the capital's wires are underground, and the company fears they could rupture from seismic movement.
Photo: RNZ / Russell Palmer
Most of those lines survived the Kaikoura earthquake in November last year, but 30,000 customers in the Hutt Valley lost power for up to 24 hours.
However the company believes another earthquake could be far worse, so preventive measures need to be put in place as soon as possible.
It wants to spend $31 million on stockpiling equipment in several locations so these emergency power lines could be slung over poles quickly.
It wants the Commerce Commission to approve that expenditure, which would be paid for by raising an average customer's bill by $1.50 to $1.90 a month.
The Commission agrees but is asking for submissions from the public before making a final ruling.
Wellington Electricity is hoping the work could start next year and be finished within three years.
Like other lines companies, Wellington Electricity is price-controlled.
The Commission proposal would give it special status under its price control regime.
This follows a decision yesterday to grant similar status to Powerco to replace old equipment and an earlier decision to support Orion because of the Christchurch quakes
Wellington Electricity supplies electricity to 166 thousand homes and businesses in Wellington, the Hutt Valley, and Porirua.
The proposal to grant it special status comes after a Government Policy statement in September urging this very policy.
"Wellington is New Zealand's second largest metropolitan area and houses most of central government," the statement read.
"The Wellington region faces seismic risks due to the combination of active faults, steep terrain, potential liquefaction zones, and vulnerable transport routes and other infrastructure.
"It is therefore a priority to restore electricity services to critical sites, and ultimately to the entire affected region, as quickly as possible following an emergency event."
The Commerce Commission proposal basically said the same thing.