(a) Public Utilities
(i)
Gas
48.
Turning now to the public utilities, the Hong Kong and
China Gas Company will, by 1986, have extended its distribution
network to practically all unserviced areas in the mainland New
Territories. To meet the expected increase in demand from this expansion of its network, the company is seeking a grant of land on which to build a second production plant.
(ii) Electricity
49.
The two electricity companies have invested very substantially in the expansion of their generating capacity to
meet the expected growth in demand. Their total planned
investment, which is subject to careful scrutiny by the
Government, amounts to many billions of dollars. Despite this
massive investment programme, the cost of electricity to the Hong Kong consumer is among the lowest in Asia, and it is still
falling in
in real terms. The introduction of coal-fired units
should result in a further significant saving to consumers,
since the present cost of coal is about half that of oil.
50.
to
Earlier this year, the Government published the
summary of a report by consultants appointed
advise on
technical aspects of system planning by the two major power companies. Perhaps the most important of the consultants'
findings was that the expansion plans of both power companies
have been founded on good engineering practices and sound
economic judgement, and are sufficiently flexible to allow for
changes without the risk of over-provision of generating capacity. The Government has recently engaged the services of
other consultants to study our existing monitoring
arrangements, and to advise whether the present
schemes
of
/control
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