On Friday afternoon there was the possibility that the expected hot weather and demand for power to run air-conditioners and other cooling devices would put too much of a burden on the electricity networks.

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) had forecast a two-hour window between 4.30pm and 6.30pm where demand was likely to exceed supply.

The AEMO flagged possibly load shedding – cutting power to certain areas to help protect the network

An Endeavour Energy spokeswoman said load shedding was not necessary because temperatures in the Illawarra did not reach the predicted maximums and were not as high as in western Sydney.

She said there were measures in place to deal with very hot weather, including cancelling planned maintenance if the forecast temperature is more than 40 degrees.

“We have specific operational plans to maintain network performance on hot days to minimise the time customers are without power if equipment fails or there is an emergency,” the spokeswoman said.

“Extra emergency response crews are also placed on standby to respond if faults happen.”

Across the state, there was no need for load shedding, said NSW Energy and Utilities Minister Don Harwin.

The Minister said work needed to be done to ensure the state was better prepared for the next heatwave.

He planned to raise the need for reform in the energy market at next week’s CoAG Energy Council.

“I will also be establishing an Energy Security Taskforce,” Mr Harwin said.

“This taskforce will report to me on ways we can better manage the impact of extreme weather on energy security, including our readiness, planning, preparation and response capability.”