Hong Kong demands CLP review all power cuts over past 3 years after latest outage

Environment bureau expresses ‘deep concern’ and summons company’s boss to request ‘fundamental improvements’ to electricity supply

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A power cut in Wong Tai Sin plunged some shopping centres into darkness. Photo: Handout

Published: 3:34pm, 13 Jun 2024Updated: 2:28am, 14 Jun 2024

Hong Kong authorities have demanded electricity supplier CLP Power review all voltage dips and outages over the past three years after a four-hour blackout plunged more than 2,200 households into darkness in densely populated Wong Tai Sin district.

The Environment and Ecology Bureau expressed “deep concern” on Thursday over the latest incident – the utility’s sixth power disruption this year – as it summoned the company’s boss to request “fundamental improvements” to its culture and electricity supply management system.

CLP Power must submit a detailed report on Wednesday’s outage within four weeks.

“This incident should not be treated as an isolated event,” Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan said during his meeting with company managing director Joseph Law Ka-chun.

“Recently, there have been a number of voltage dips and power supply interruption incidents, and the frequency of these incidents has led to concerns about whether CLP’s service quality is on the decline.”

Tse stressed the city could only maintain “the stable and reliable power supply that Hong Kong has always been proud of” by reducing the recurrence of similar incidents.