23 Dec 2010

Power price report due for release

6:09 am on 23 December 2010

The Electricity Authority hopes to release a report on high wholesale electricity prices on Thursday.

Electricity users and energy analysts want to know why the spot price for electricity soared at the start of December.

The average price went from just over five cents a kilowatt hour in late November to 19.5 cents a kilowatt hour on 17 December.

The Major Electricity Users' Group says it is waiting for power generators to explain the high prices.

It hopes there will be some answers in the report that is due from the Electricity Authority.

Spot prices have fallen significantly in the past few days after heavy rain in the South Island caused hydro lake levels to rise.