Blistering heat triggered power outages on <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.wionews.com/sports/rafael-nadal-races-to-australian-open-final-beats-stefanos-tsitsipas-192506&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwi91I35qYjgAhXZfysKHbEoAhIQFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw2ci5cEsWT5Ds4ge60PwLfr">Australia</a>'s strained grid on Friday as demand for air-conditioning soared and coal-fired generators struggled to meet the surge in consumption.

To shore up the grid, the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) cut power to Alcoa Corp's Portland aluminium smelter, the biggest consumer in the state of Victoria, for nearly two hours on Thursday evening and on Friday.

The record-breaking heatwave over the past week sent power prices soaring across southeastern Australia.

Wholesale power prices in Victoria hit the market cap of A$14,500 ($10,298) per megawatt hour (MWh) before midday on Friday, earlier than expected, then dropped to A$300, National Electricity Market data showed.

Supply was tight, with a total of 1,800 megawatts (MW) of generation offline in the country's east, AEMO Chief Executive Audrey Zibelman said on Australian Broadcasting Corp TV. AGL Energy's Loy Yang power plant and EnergyAustralia's Yallourn, both in Victoria, were among those with units down.

Transmission links from the states of Tasmania, New South Wales and South Australia were transferring power to Victoria at full capacity, Zibelman said.

"With all of that, however, we found ourselves short...for up to the next two hours," she said. "We may have to do more over the course of the afternoon, as the demand continues to increase."

The AEMO has ordered cuts of 200 MW, which would affect about 60,000 Victorian customers.

Temperatures in the South Australian capital of Adelaide rose to just shy of 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) on Thursday, a record high. Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, was set to hit 44C on Friday before a drop of about 15 degrees expected mid-afternoon.

Victoria Energy Minister Lily D'Ambrosio said it was clear Australia's summers were getting longer, hotter and more extreme because of climate change.

"We can see that the problem we've got now is that we've got a 20th-century system for a 21st-century climate," she told reporters at a televised briefing.

Australia is a signatory to the Paris climate accord reached in 2015, under which it has committed to cutting carbon emissions by between 26 per cent to 28 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030.

As insurance ahead of this summer, the AEMO lined up 930 MW of reserve power, including an agreement to pay Alcoa's Portland smelter to curb power when supplies are tight. Last summer, the reserve program cost the market operator A$52 million.

However, the power cut to Alcoa on Thursday came without notice because of unexpectedly high temperatures, causing demand to spike, the AEMO said.

"Alcoa will not be compensated for the curtailment," Alcoa spokeswoman Jodie Read said.

But Friday's cut to Alcoa will be under the reserve agreement.

In South Australia, where power capacity has been beefed up with diesel generators and gas-fired plants over the past two years following a state-wide blackout, 30,000 homes lost power on Thursday after transformers on local power lines overheated and switched off.

"After days of heat, we were in some uncharted territory yesterday with record heat and record load sustained well into the night," said Paul Roberts, a spokesman for SA Power Networks, the South Australian local distribution network operator.

Blistering heat triggered power outages on Australia's strained grid on Friday as demand for air-conditioning soared and coal-fired generators struggled to meet the surge in consumption.

Blistering heat triggered power outages on Australia's strained grid on Friday as demand for air-conditioning soared and coal-fired generators struggled to meet the surge in consumption. To shore up the grid, the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) cut power to Alcoa Corp's Portland aluminium smelter, the biggest consumer in the state of Victoria, for nearly two hours on Thursday evening and on Friday. The record-breaking heatwave over the past week sent power prices soaring across southeastern Australia. Wholesale power prices in Victoria hit the market cap of A$14,500 ($10,298) per megawatt hour (MWh) before midday on Friday, earlier than expected, then dropped to A$300, National Electricity Market data showed. Supply was tight, with a total of 1,800 megawatts (MW) of generation offline in the country's east, AEMO Chief Executive Audrey Zibelman said on Australian Broadcasting Corp TV. AGL Energy's Loy Yang power plant and EnergyAustralia's Yallourn, both in Victoria, were among those with units down. Transmission links from the states of Tasmania, New South Wales and South Australia were transferring power to Victoria at full capacity, Zibelman said. "With all of that, however, we found ourselves short...for up to the next two hours," she said. "We may have to do more over the course of the afternoon, as the demand continues to increase." The AEMO has ordered cuts of 200 MW, which would affect about 60,000 Victorian customers. Temperatures in the South Australian capital of Adelaide rose to just shy of 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) on Thursday, a record high. Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, was set to hit 44C on Friday before a drop of about 15 degrees expected mid-afternoon. Victoria Energy Minister Lily D'Ambrosio said it was clear Australia's summers were getting longer, hotter and more extreme because of climate change. "We can see that the problem we've got now is that we've got a 20th-century system for a 21st-century climate," she told reporters at a televised briefing. Australia is a signatory to the Paris climate accord reached in 2015, under which it has committed to cutting carbon emissions by between 26 per cent to 28 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030. As insurance ahead of this summer, the AEMO lined up 930 MW of reserve power, including an agreement to pay Alcoa's Portland smelter to curb power when supplies are tight. Last summer, the reserve program cost the market operator A$52 million. However, the power cut to Alcoa on Thursday came without notice because of unexpectedly high temperatures, causing demand to spike, the AEMO said. "Alcoa will not be compensated for the curtailment," Alcoa spokeswoman Jodie Read said. But Friday's cut to Alcoa will be under the reserve agreement. In South Australia, where power capacity has been beefed up with diesel generators and gas-fired plants over the past two years following a state-wide blackout, 30,000 homes lost power on Thursday after transformers on local power lines overheated and switched off. "After days of heat, we were in some uncharted territory yesterday with record heat and record load sustained well into the night," said Paul Roberts, a spokesman for SA Power Networks, the South Australian local distribution network operator.

Record-breaking heatwave triggers power cuts on Australia's stressed grid

Winter in the state of <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.wionews.com/india-news/encounter-underway-in-jammu-and-kashmirs-budgam-district-191710&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwib8rfvxf7fAhWBTt8KHTAuC08QFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw01ya7bzjOm60jZluP1otxU">Jammu and Kashmir </a>is bone-chilling but the electricity crisis in the state has left the Kashmir Valley in darkness. And the power cuts inevitably grow longer every winter since the power deficiency in the state doesn't seem to improve.&nbsp;

Aroofa is studying in the fourth standard. During the winter vacations, she and her siblings study under candlelight when the power cuts interrupt their studies. This has also been the case with other students preparing for their exams.&nbsp;

"When we come back from tuition and start studying at night, we don't have electricity. We have to light candles to study every day. Our eyes have water when we continuously look at books under candlelight," says Aroofa while studying in her room in Srinagar.&nbsp;

Every winter, the state's demand for electricity grows as its generation of power does down.&nbsp;

Most of the power generated by the state comes from hydel plants but when the rivers dry up in the winter, electricity generation also takes a hit.&nbsp;

The valley then has to buy power from the northern grid to meet its requirements.&nbsp;

This has forced authorities to buy electricity from the northern grid for Rs 6,000 crore. The state has also been unable to bridge commercial losses of almost Rs 3,500 crores. (A recent RTI revealed that bureaucrats and legislators are among the top defaulters.)&nbsp;

"We have a grid capacity of 1,250 megawatts. As of now, we are importing electricity from the northern grid. We are dependent on hydel generation as, during winter, river water dries up, so we don't generate much electricity," says Hashmat Qazi, chief engineer of the Power Development Department,&nbsp;

The eighteenth All India Power Survey projected that power demand in the state will increase from 1,706 megawatts in 2004-2005 &nbsp;to 4,217 megawatts in 2021-22.&nbsp;

For now, the administration has promised to overcome the power crisis (to a large extent) by the year 2020 by upgrading the sector.

Winter in the state of Jammu and Kashmir is bone-chilling but the electricity crisis in the state has left the Kashmir Valley in darkness. And the power cuts inevitably grow longer every winter since the power deficiency in the state doesn't seem to improve.

Winter in the state of Jammu and Kashmir is bone-chilling but the electricity crisis in the state has left the Kashmir Valley in darkness. And the power cuts inevitably grow longer every winter since the power deficiency in the state doesn't seem to improve. Aroofa is studying in the fourth standard. During the winter vacations, she and her siblings study under candlelight when the power cuts interrupt their studies. This has also been the case with other students preparing for their exams. "When we come back from tuition and start studying at night, we don't have electricity. We have to light candles to study every day. Our eyes have water when we continuously look at books under candlelight," says Aroofa while studying in her room in Srinagar. Every winter, the state's demand for electricity grows as its generation of power does down. Most of the power generated by the state comes from hydel plants but when the rivers dry up in the winter, electricity generation also takes a hit. The valley then has to buy power from the northern grid to meet its requirements. This has forced authorities to buy electricity from the northern grid for Rs 6,000 crore. The state has also been unable to bridge commercial losses of almost Rs 3,500 crores. (A recent RTI revealed that bureaucrats and legislators are among the top defaulters.) "We have a grid capacity of 1,250 megawatts. As of now, we are importing electricity from the northern grid. We are dependent on hydel generation as, during winter, river water dries up, so we don't generate much electricity," says Hashmat Qazi, chief engineer of the Power Development Department, The eighteenth All India Power Survey projected that power demand in the state will increase from 1,706 megawatts in 2004-2005 to 4,217 megawatts in 2021-22. For now, the administration has promised to overcome the power crisis (to a large extent) by the year 2020 by upgrading the sector.

J&K electricity crisis: As power cuts get longer each year, outrage grows

Thousands of people from Afghanistan&#39;s Hazara minority demonstrated in the capital Kabul today to demand changes to the route of a planned multi-million dollar power transmission line. 
 
The demonstrators are demanding that the 500 kV transmission line from Turkmenistan to Kabul be re-routed through two provinces with large Hazara populations, an option the government says would cost millions and delay the badly needed project by years. 
 
Waving Afghan flags and chanting slogans like &quot;Justice! Justice!&quot; and &quot;Death to discrimination!&quot;, demonstrators gathered near Kabul University, several kilometres from the main government area, which police sealed off. 
 
Security was tight and helicopters patrolled overhead but there was no sign of trouble as the protest began. 
 
The transmission line, intended to provide secure electricity to 10 provinces is part of a project backed by the Asia Development Bank aimed at linking energy-rich states of Central Asia with Afghanistan and Pakistan. 
 
Hazaras say they want the transmission line to come through their area because that would ensure their power supply. 
 
Only 30 per cent of country connected to electricity system&nbsp; 
 
The government says the project already guarantees ample power to the provinces of Bamyan and Wardak, west of Kabul, where many Hazaras live, and denies accusations that it disadvantages Hazara people, a mainly Shia minority. 
 
Under current plans, due to be implemented by 2018, the line will pass from a converter station in the northern town of Pul-e Khumri to Kabul through the mountainous Salang pass. 
 
An earlier version of the plan foresaw a longer route from Pul-e Khumri through Bamyan and Wardak, but this option was subsequently dropped. 
 
The Persian-speaking Hazara, estimated to make up about 9 per cent of the population, are Afghanistan&#39;s third largest minority but they have long suffered discrimination. Thousands were killed during Taliban rule. 
 
However, they are politically well-organised and several of their leaders are part of President Ashraf Ghani&#39;s delicately balanced national unity government, which has added to the sensitivity surrounding the protests. 
 
&quot;We will not allow them to enjoy their time in palaces while those who voted for them stay in darkness,&quot; said demonstrator Mohammad Ali, 34. 
 
Saturday&#39;s demonstration follows a protest in May, after which Ghani promised a committee of inquiry into the case. That committee, however, recommended sticking with the route through the Salang pass. 
 
Strengthening and expanding Afghanistan&#39;s creaking power network is among the government&#39;s top development priorities as currently only 30 per cent of the country is connected to the electricity system. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

Hazaras say they want the transmission line to come through their area because that would ensure their power supply

Thousands of people from Afghanistan's Hazara minority demonstrated in the capital Kabul today to demand changes to the route of a planned multi-million dollar power transmission line. The demonstrators are demanding that the 500 kV transmission line from Turkmenistan to Kabul be re-routed through two provinces with large Hazara populations, an option the government says would cost millions and delay the badly needed project by years. Waving Afghan flags and chanting slogans like "Justice! Justice!" and "Death to discrimination!", demonstrators gathered near Kabul University, several kilometres from the main government area, which police sealed off. Security was tight and helicopters patrolled overhead but there was no sign of trouble as the protest began. The transmission line, intended to provide secure electricity to 10 provinces is part of a project backed by the Asia Development Bank aimed at linking energy-rich states of Central Asia with Afghanistan and Pakistan. Hazaras say they want the transmission line to come through their area because that would ensure their power supply. Only 30 per cent of country connected to electricity system The government says the project already guarantees ample power to the provinces of Bamyan and Wardak, west of Kabul, where many Hazaras live, and denies accusations that it disadvantages Hazara people, a mainly Shia minority. Under current plans, due to be implemented by 2018, the line will pass from a converter station in the northern town of Pul-e Khumri to Kabul through the mountainous Salang pass. An earlier version of the plan foresaw a longer route from Pul-e Khumri through Bamyan and Wardak, but this option was subsequently dropped. The Persian-speaking Hazara, estimated to make up about 9 per cent of the population, are Afghanistan's third largest minority but they have long suffered discrimination. Thousands were killed during Taliban rule. However, they are politically well-organised and several of their leaders are part of President Ashraf Ghani's delicately balanced national unity government, which has added to the sensitivity surrounding the protests. "We will not allow them to enjoy their time in palaces while those who voted for them stay in darkness," said demonstrator Mohammad Ali, 34. Saturday's demonstration follows a protest in May, after which Ghani promised a committee of inquiry into the case. That committee, however, recommended sticking with the route through the Salang pass. Strengthening and expanding Afghanistan's creaking power network is among the government's top development priorities as currently only 30 per cent of the country is connected to the electricity system. (Reuters)

Minority Hazaras in Kabul demand changes to planned multi-million dollar power transmission line

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