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Lawmakers Demand CLP Explanation for Recent Power Outage

CLP urged to explain recent power outages2

Lawmakers are calling on CLP Holdings to provide a comprehensive explanation for the recent power outage that left over 2,200 customers in Wong Tai Sin without electricity for approximately four hours on Wednesday evening.

The power company attributed the blackout to a faulty cable, but this explanation has done little to appease affected residents and concerned officials.

An elderly woman residing in Lung Kwong House shared her ordeal, describing how she struggled with the heat after her air conditioning went off. “I had to turn on two portable fans. It lasted for four hours. I was feeling so hot. I haven’t experienced such a situation since I lived here,” she recounted.

Another resident expressed frustration over the lack of a backup system. “I had to walk all the way up to my flat. There was no electricity, no air conditioning, and the food inside my refrigerator turned bad,” he said.

The incident has drawn sharp criticism from social welfare sector lawmaker Tik Chi-yuen, who highlighted a troubling pattern of power outages in the city in recent months. “This is unacceptable,” Tik declared. “I expect the government to intervene and ask the company [CLP] to provide a full report on how to ensure a more stable power supply in the long term.”

Tik emphasized that the issue extends beyond a single incident. “We are looking at the full picture, whether they need some fundamental changes or essential improvements, so that we can guarantee the power supply is stable,” he added.

DAB lawmaker Edward Lau, who chairs the Legislative Council’s panel on environmental affairs, pointed out flaws in the current penalty system for power companies. According to Lau, CLP faces a penalty of HK$20 million only if it records 15 million minutes of power disruption to its customers within a year. Wednesday night’s outage alone accounted for around one million minutes of disruption, he noted.

As the city grapples with these recurring power issues, pressure mounts on CLP to address the vulnerabilities in its infrastructure and take proactive measures to prevent future outages. Both lawmakers and residents await a detailed response from the power company, hoping for swift and substantial improvements to the city’s power reliability.