Essential Energy says it has started the work to minimise the frequency, duration and impact of unplanned power supply interruptions that have occurred in the CBD.

Essential Energy regional manager Phillip Green said the work being carried out would improve the network’s reliability for the Orange community.

He said the first step in the upgrade would be work on 120 metres of high voltage underground cable in Anson Street across from the James Sheahan Catholic High School.

“This is being undertaken during the school holidays to lessen the impact on the community,” he said.

Summer Street business owner David Russell, who runs Sportspower, said he hoped the days of long blackouts were behind business owners.

“We’ve had about four big blackouts in the last couple of years - two so far this year and you lose money,” he said.

“It’s impossible to keep our shop open because you can’t see to serve customers and the computers won’t work.

“We had no choice other than to close the doors.

“When you get up and running again you have to reboot the computers and then go through the process of checking if you haven’t lost any data - it’s been a big inconvenience.”

Mr Green said specialist underground crews would relocate the power lines in Anson Street from overhead to underground and upgrade their capacity at the same time.

He said as part of the upgrades three new switching stations in Prince Street would provide greater network flexibility, allowing Essential Energy to redirect the power supply when required.

Mr Green said the work was not connected to the recent failure at TransGrid’s Orange substation on July 26 that left three-quarters of the homes in Orange and district without power for several hours.

Mr Green said motorists should be mindful of the increase in heavy vehicle traffic in Prince and Anson streets while work is being carried out.

janice.harris@fairfaxmedia.com.au