Aurora Energy says it will soon begin its own analysis to see how climate change could affect its network — a crucial step towards understanding the impact of the 75-year visions outlined today by the South Dunedin Future work programme on the business.
South Dunedin Future, a joint Dunedin City Council-Otago Regional Council initiative, today released a detailed assessment of the natural hazards facing the coastal suburb.
Consultation on seven multi-billion-dollar options to prepare the area for the future is expected soon.
Aurora customer and commercial services general manager Mark Pratt said the city-council owned company had substations in St Kilda, Andersons Bay and Carisbrook, as well as underground high voltage cables, and it provided about 21,100 connections from its South Dunedin sub-network to homes and businesses.
As part of the company’s wider resilience programme Aurora would soon be trialling a new "geospatial modelling application" to understand how climate change, rising sea levels, flooding and earthquakes could impact its entire electricity network.
The data from that trial would supplement information the company currently held and allow it to align it with the information provided from the South Dunedin Future programme today.
"Once we have reviewed the reports, we will be in a better position to decide whether we will submit on any consultation," he said.
