The Washington times., 1920-08-24
IN
FALLS PLANT.
-KUTZ
Smoke Nuisance Would Be
Abated and Coal Saved,
Says Engineer Official.

Government ownership OF the Po-
tomac Electric Power Company, or
contractual agreement, whereby the
power plant and the proposed power
station at Great Falls could be
linked up, was advocated today by
Com missioner Charles W. kutz, en-
gineer commissioner for the District
OF Columbia, at the hearing OF the
Federal Water Power Commission.
Colonel Kutz was one Of the many
who testified at the hearing on the
advisibility OF harnessing Great Falls
to supply water to the District.
COMPANY HOLDS LAND.
S. II. Bowen. secretary Of the Wash
ington Railway and Electric Company.
told the commission that his company
owned power rights and land along
the Potomac both on the Maryland and
Virginia sido. The land owned by
the Potomac company comprises
about 500 acres on the Virginia side
and about 200 acres on the Mary
land side.
Commissioner Kutz, in his COM
munication to the commission said:
The people of the District of Co
lumbia are greatly interested both In
developing the power of Great Falls
and in securing an increased water
supply. Their interest In the former
is based on the broad general ground
that II after investigation and anaiy-
sis il be shown that power from Great
Falls can be developed and delivered
TO the consumer at less cost than an
equal quantity of power can be de-
yeloped from coal and delivered TO
the consumer. the wisdom OF making
the necessary expenditure is self-evi-
dent
WILL END SMOKE.
whether this can be done at pre-
vailing prices for labor and material
and prevailing prices for fuel, is one
OF the problems which the Power
Commission is called upon to solve.
On the assumption, however, that the
cost of power obtained from the two
sources may not be materially diHer-
ent. the Commissioners ask that in
reaching it's decision, consideration be
given by the commission to certain
other factors.
"u) The development OF the power
Of Gfeat Falls will directly reduce the
smoke nuisance in the National Capt.
tai by diminishing or preventing an
increase in the amount of smoke de-
yeloped at the large steam power
plants in the city, and indirectly by
encouraging the substitution OF cleo
| trio motor-driven machinery for
steam-driven machinery in many OF
the minor Industries in the city.
"(2) Even il the cost be equal to
the cost OF power developed from
coal. the advantage of having the
source Of the needed power at their
doors would be a decided advantage
and the coal thus saved could be di.
verted to uses for which coal is es
| sential
NEED EXTRA PLANT.
while the Commissioners have
great faith in the water power project
they realize that the foWMSf the
! Potomac river at Great Fa1fsis very
| irregular and that any large develop
ment will require an auxiliary steam
! power plant. They feel, how ~yer, that
such an auxiliary steam power plant
should not be erected as&a part OF
the water power project, buf shat use
| should be made of the existing steam
plant of the Potomac Electric Power
| Company. either through its purchase
| by the Federal Government or BY
means of contractual agreement
whereby the two plants could be sc
| linked up as to form parts of a single
| operating unit.
As to the water supply part OF tn,
! investigation. the Commissioners ar,
not clear whether the power commits
sion is limited in it's investigation e
consideration OF a project that forms
part of the power project or whether
the subject OF additional water sup
ply can be construed to include con
sideration of all available sources o
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