Editorial | Brighten the chances of avoiding future power cuts in Hong Kong

Being kept in the dark does not sit well with Hongkongers, so it is important that the city’s two main power companies shed more light on what was behind recent blackouts. The most recent incident happened on April 19 when maintenance staff at a HK Electric switching station mistakenly connected a backup cable which had not been used for more than 10 years.

Company officials said they are still investigating why the cable was not included in station wiring diagrams. When it was plugged in just after midnight, a power dip at the Cyberport switching station in Pok Fu Lam triggered a chain blackout across the city lasting 48 minutes. It must have felt longer for people trapped in about 30 stalled lifts, or startled awake by dozens of automatic fire alarms that were set off. By morning, traffic lights were still out in several districts prompting a warning for drivers. Thankfully, there were no injuries.

Last month, CLP Power apologised after a supply glitch that left more than 100 people trapped in lifts. In June last year, about 160,000 households in northwestern Hong Kong were left without electricity for hours after a bridge carrying high-voltage CLP cables caught fire in Yuen Long. Investigators blamed a 30-year-old fluorescent light that started burning in a structure with no fire detection systems.

The energy suppliers have long enjoyed an enviable reputation for reliable service in an international city where electricity is critical for commerce and comfort. Several outages in such a short span erode that sense of stability and raise questions about whether deeper systemic problems have not been addressed by explanations provided so far.

Environment minister Tse Chin-wan said that given the suggestion of human error in the latest incident, there should be a review of the mechanism that gives financial incentives to utilities for swiftly restoring power. Suppliers have argued that their profit levels need to be steady, especially in a time of global transition to greener energy, but customers expect the delivery of services they pay for.

HK Electric stresses that the April 19 cut was “rare” and “a one-off”. The government has demanded a detailed report. The city deserves clear and complete explanations, ideally leading to change that brightens the prospects of avoiding future blackouts.