Need help with my writing homework on Alternatives to Additional Transmission Lines to Meet Escalating Demand in Northland and Auckland. Write a 2500 word paper answering; The rising demand for electricity in the above-mentioned areas has necessitated Transpower coming up with a proposal to erect additional transmission lines, to the tune of $1.5 billion. This proposed investment is up for approval before the Electricity Commission, and the approval rests on Transpower proving that there are no viable alternatives to such an investment. There is the matter of alternatives that need to be explored, as indicated in the case, that negates the need for massive infrastructure investments in transmission and power generation, via distributed power generation facilities, for instance, that are erected close to the demand, in this case, close to the areas that need them. There are also ideas floated with regard to the reduction of so-called peak demand, and the possible construction of additional power stations to meet the increased needs of some areas, notably Northland and Auckland. The paper discusses these and other alternatives and evaluates their feasibility alongside the proposed investment in additional transmission lines (Daniels 2004).

There is merit in a brief overview of the New Zealand economy and the prospects of the economy moving forward, vis a vis power generation capacity and future power demand, as the two are correlative, meaning that rising demand for power in the country is a function of economic growth. In this regard, the trend for power consumption ought to be positive in the long term, given the steady growth in the economy over the past few decades, and prospects for continued growth. It is ranked as the 65th largest economy in the world in 2011, with PPP GDP at $123.3 billion, and per capita GDP at $27,900, which places New Zealand at the 48th spot in terms of GDP per person. Services make up close to 72 percent of GDP, followed by the industrial sector at 24 percent. Key industries are the processing of wood, food, paper, and textiles. mining. tourism. banking and finance. and the manufacture of transport and other machinery and equipment.