As many as 60,000 residents around Melbourne are facing planned, temporary brownouts this afternoon in an attempt to deal with the massive energy demands being put on the state’s power supply system.
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As Victorians swelter through one of the hottest days in years, the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has announced the implementation of load shedding – which basically means certain suburbs will have their power intentionally curtailed so even larger patches of the city don’t face blackouts.
Load shedding activities were slated to start from midday and are expected to roll through certain regions over a two hour period, the authority said in a statement.
Handily, the authority also provided a list of all the suburbs which may face load shedding. Here they are:
- Airport West
- Alphington
- Armadale
- Ascot Vale
- Balaclava
- Balmoral
- Balwyn
- Beaumaris
- Bentleigh
- Broadmeadows
- Bulleen
- Bundalong
- Burwood
- Camberwell
- Camperdown
- Castlemaine
- Caulfield
- Clyde
- Corio
- Cranbourne East
- East Keilor
- Elwood
- Epping
- Essendon North
- Essendon
- Fairfield
- Glenroy
- Grassmere
- Hamlyn Heights
- Haven
- Heathdale
- Herne Hill
- Ivanhoe
- Kalkallo
- Lara
- Lysterfield
- Mailers Flat
- Malvern
- Mill Park
- Moonee Pond
- Muckleford
- Niddrie
- Norlane
- Northcote
- Oak Park
- Riversdale
- Rowville
- Southbank
- Strathmore
- Surrey Hills
- Toorak
- Weerite
- West Footscray
- Woolsthorpe
- Yarrawonga
FWIW, state energy minister Lily D’Ambrosio told reporters earlier that load shedding was not slated for the day. Turns out it is that bloody hot after all.
Fortunately, load shedding activities are expected to end once that blessed cool change rolls through Melbourne’s metro region, negating the need for quite so many air conditioners to be blasting at any one time.
Stay chill, folks.
