Electricity network provider Ausgrid has released a 12 month snap shot of its five year network investment and maintenance program to maintain a safe and reliable supply of electricity to 1.6 million homes and businesses. Managing Director George Maltabarow said the network investment was one of Australia’s largest infrastructure programs.

“Our electricity network is one of the most complex and largest systems in the country,” Maltabarow said. “However, it is also one of the oldest. “About 50% of our substations were built in the 1960’s and 1970’s. This sort of electricity infrastructure generally has a life of about 40 or 50 years. It is now time to replace much of this infrastructure.”

Maltabarow said increasing peak demand for electricity was also a major driver for electricity network investment. “On average homes are using less electricity, but peak energy consumption particularly in some regional areas is continuing to grow. This also drives investment in the electricity network,” he said.

The 2010/11 update on the capital works program can be found at ausgrid.com.au/12monthreportcard. It shows that:

• Work continued on 746 network projects
• 174 km of transmission and subtransmission electricity cables were commissioned
• 440 km of high voltage and 468 km of low voltage cable was installed
• Seven large zone substations and 820 distribution substations were completed; and
• 445,500 maintenance tasks were completed across the network

Maltabarow said Ausgrid was on track to deliver its five year capital investment program, but was also targeting greater efficiencies to reduce the total cost of the program.