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Nearly\xa0100,000 people spent the day without electricity in Northland\xa0after a\xa0transmission tower\xa0linking the region to the rest of the country collapsed.\xa0\xa0\xa0

Power was restored to most of\xa0the region\xa0yesterday evening, but consumers were asked to conserve electricity and warned their hot water cylinders would remain off while the amount of energy getting into the area was limited.\xa0\xa0\xa0

The tower was undergoing maintenance work when it fell yesterday morning but questions remain on the cause of the collapse.\xa0\xa0\xa0

The country\u2019s grid provider Transpower issued a grid emergency notice. It was the second such notice issued this year after there was\xa0a shortage of generation during a cold snap\xa0in May and\xa0a solar storm two days later.\xa0\xa0\xa0

Transpower says they don't yet know why a transmission tower toppled over at Glorit, northwest of Auckland, causing a widespread power outage in Northland. \xa0

NorthPower says supply's been restored to most of the very north of the country while Top Energy's showing 61 customers in Bay of Islands still without. \xa0

But hot water controls are in place, further outages are possible today, and people are urged to conserve power. \xa0

Transpower chief executive Alison Andrew told Mike Hosking that they haven't done a debrief with the crew on-site at the tower. \xa0

She says at the moment they are focussed on restoration, and there will be an investigation, but speculation is unhelpful.\xa0

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