Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-05
POWER ENERGY
OF AQUEDUCT IS
WORTH MILLIONS
Engineers Report 10000
H. p. Can Be Devel-
oped by City
EXCEEDS ESTIMATES
Los Angeles Will Be Pre-
pared to Undersell Pri-
vate Corporations

vate Corporations
VJHAT power to the extent of 100000
h. D., or 80 per cent more than
l. the original estimate at a cost
much lower than the average for de-
veloping hydraulic power. can be
brought to Los Angeles from the
owens river aqueduct is the essential
feature of the report Of the consulting
board of electrical engineers filed yes
terday with the board of Public works.
The glowing report by this board,
composed of w. F. Durand, o. II. En-
sign and Harris ]. Ryan. all experts
In this work. is far better than any
thing the aqueduct officials had an
ticipated The amount of power that
can be developed is greatly in excess
of the amount that had been estimated
in the first general report. and this
the engineers explain is due to the
fact that the flow from Cottonwood
creek was not included in the first
report. 1t will cost only $50 per horse
power to develop and transmit all this
power to Los Angeles ready for sale,
and this sum is very much less than
the average cost of developing power
of this kind.
The vast amount OF cheap power the
city will have for sale when the work
of development Is completed Is ex-
pected to have a marked effect in en-
couraging the location of Industries.
The city will be able to light its own
streets and public grounds and will
have power enough to supply the
wants Of the city for long time to
come. 1t can enter into competition
in the sale OF power with the regularly
established electric companies and un-
dersell these corporations.
1t is expected that the sale of this
power will prove a source of revenue
to the city sufficient to pay the inter-
est and sinking fund on the owens
river bonds. This feature alone will
mean much to the taxpayers. as this
year $1,00O.000 must be raised by tax
alton to pay this interest and sink
ing fund.
Bond Vote April 10
An election to vote s3.5OO.OOO in bonds
to begin the work of power develop
ment has been called for April 19. AT
the same time $S,0OO,OO0 in bonds will
be voted for the development OF Los
Angeles harbor.
The report Of the engineers follows;
To the Honorable Board of Public
WORKS, Los Angeles, Cal.
Gentlemen-Yo board of consult
ing engineers for Los Angeles aque-
duct power Degs to submit the tol-
lowing preliminary report:
During the week, January S-9, the
board made a trip over the line of the
aqueduct covering especially an IN
spectlon OF the power sites and of
those features OF the aqueduct line
which have special relation TO the
problem OF power development These
observations made IN the field have
been further supplemented by access
to the aqueduct designs and TO the
date and material thus far developed
by the power bureau, and on file in
their oItice in Los Angeles.
AS a result of the preliminary study
of these various sources OF informa-
tion coupled with our own observations
in the field we find as follows:
First-The general plan of the de-
velopment of electric power along the
line of the aqueduct and its trans
mission to Los Angeles and vicinity, Is,
in our opinion, a thoroughly practi-
cable scheme, involving no engineer
ing problems which should not permit
of successful solution, and promising
a reliable source of power which should
find ready market at prices adVan-
tageous to the city.
Much Power Available
Second-Taking as points of de-
parture the aqueduct surveys for
amounts of fall and the reports of
stream flow and capacity on which
we find that the total amount of
power which can be delivered in the
vicinity of Los Angeles and ready for
sale at step-down voltage is approx
imately 1,152,000- -kilowatt hours per
day, corresponding to uniform de-
livery of $4,000 kilowatts or $4,000 horse
power for twenty-four hours or to a
maximum delivery of $4,000 lSilowatts
or 10000 horsepower on load curve
of form corresponding to the average
conditions in and about Los Angeles at
the present time and of which the
average load is So per cent of the max
imurl. The accompanying diagram
No. / shows the characteristics of
this load curve. 1t will be noted that
this estimate of power is approximate
ly 80 per cent. in excess of the esti-
mate made by your first board of con-
sulting engineers for the general aque-
duct project. To explain this differ
ence the two following points may
De noted:
(a) The power available at Cotton
wood and Division creeks and amount
ing to some $500 kilowatts was not
contemplated or included in these ear
lier estimates.
(b) Final surveys for location with
special reference to power development
have permitted of moro advantageous
locations of power sites, thus securing
higher heads and a corresponding in
crease in the power available without
increase of cost of aqueduct con-
stIuction.
Third-Cost Of development and
transmission:
Our estimate of the installation costs
for the development and transmission
of this power ready for sale at step
down voltage at Los Angeles, based on
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