"The lights will not go out" even if a new hydro-electricity scheme was not built on the lower Waitaki River, Oamaru consultant engineer Ken Mitchell told the Environment Court in Oamaru.
Mr Mitchell questioned the need for the Meridian Energy north bank tunnel concept power scheme, between the Waitaki dam and Stonewall, when giving evidence on behalf of the Lower Waitaki River Management Society.
The society opposes the granting of resource consents by Environment Canterbury in December last year for the scheme, which would take up to 260cumecs from the river, leaving a monthly minimum variable flow of between 110cumecs and 150cumecs in a 34km stretch of river below the dam.
Mr Mitchell also said a wind farm on the Kakanui Mountains - being investigated by Waitaki Wind, which has former Meridian chief executive Keith Turner and former Waitaki Mayor Alan McLay as its sole shareholders and directors - was a better alternative to the Meridian scheme and he would be surprised if the power company did not know of the plan.
Meridian ownership of the Kakanui wind farm would complement its Waitaki hydro-electricity storage, he said.
However, Mr Mitchell's assertion Meridian was somehow involved in the Kakanui proposal was questioned by Meridian counsel Jo Appleyard.
Mr Mitchell said he spoke to Meridian about the wind farm as recently as June 18. Meridian had surveyed a wide area as part of its Project Hayes investigations.
However, when pressed, Mr Mitchell said he was not saying Meridian was involved: "It's just a suspicion on my behalf."
Mr Mitchell said by 2017, the South Island would have an excess of generation capacity over demand of about 30%, excluding the north bank scheme.
"The view there is a need for more South Island generation to cover dry-year risk is also a fallacy," he said.
"Meridian can make more profit in a market that is more volatile," Mr Mitchell said.
More hydro-electricity generation on the Waitaki would increase market sensitivity to dry years and increase Meridian's market power.
Under cross-examination by Ms Appleyard, Mr Mitchell said the north bank scheme was "an old solution" and "not smarter and innovative".
