The power outage in Broken Hill, which left about 20,000 residents without electricity for days, was triggered by a severe storm that destroyed seven transmission towers on Oct. 17. The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has initiated an investigation into the incident to determine if there were any breaches of the National Electricity Rules.
As part of the investigation, the AER will collaborate with the NSW government’s Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) to ensure proper coordination. IPART will specifically look into Transgrid’s compliance with license conditions and other obligations under the Electricity Supply Act 1995 and Electricity Supply (Safety and Network Management) Regulation 2014.
In response to the blackout, the NSW government and Transgrid have announced a $4 million support package for affected households and small businesses. Emergency response crews have been working tirelessly to install emergency response towers in the area, with the aim of reinstating power supply to Broken Hill ahead of schedule.
Transgrid has also improved the stability of backup power supplies to the region, including the deployment of a grid-scale battery to provide additional capacity during peak periods. This initiative marks the first microgrid operating within the National Electricity Market, enhancing the resilience of the network.
Following storm activity on Oct. 18, generators unexpectedly tripped, leading to a brief power outage. Essential Energy crews worked swiftly to restore power, which was successfully achieved by 9.15 p.m. Residents were advised to conserve power by turning off non-essential appliances and using lights only in occupied rooms. They were also encouraged to raise the air conditioner set point temperature to 26 degrees to help manage electricity usage during peak times. Can you please rewrite this sentence?
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