El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1921-01-07
By G.. A. MARTIN.
(Continusd IRON sage IL

only takes 10 when it IS available
This company operates a steam plant
Of its own, with a capacity Of 1900
ElOWatLs- II buys the surplus power
from Roosevelt dam when IL can get
it. because Il comes much cheaper
than the company can make it with
steam
The water users do not agree
TO furnish any power coutimu-
ously. All their contracts call
for power only when available
and by this IL meant only during
the irrigation period but when
there Is sufficient vuter in the
lake TO spare, the operation Is
continued all year.
1t has not been necessary for sew
eral years 20 shut down completely
and the hydro-electric plants have
always been able 20 furnish all the
power those purchasing from IL need
ed, although the Toad" has varied
considerably For instance, during
the past year, the Roosevelt dam
plant supplied as high as 100000
kiloWatr hours fin July and only
2.580.000 n February.
Have Reserve Sources.
The Phoenix company CThe Pacific
Gas and Electrlcl has only a very
small steam plant in PhoeniE-only
capable OF generating 500 or 600 kilo-
watt hours per day, but It IS planning
on the erection OF a big plant here
90 be held in reserve. Tt has aug
mented its service in Phoenix and
this section by contracting for some
surplus power from the Arizona Pow
er company at Clarkedale. To get this
power. the Phoenix company has Just
constructed a 70-mile line, capable Of
carrying 10000 volts, from Clarks-
dale 10 this city The Arizona Power
company generates its power with
steam plants and through a hydro
electric plant on the Verde river near
Clarksdale- Tt supplies power to the
city Of Prescott and the surrounding
mines.
Reserve Plants Necessary.
In Los Angeles. that city IS supplied
with power by the Edison company
from two hydno-electric plants-one
on the Kern river and one on the
Owens river project which furnishes
water TO the city of Los Angeles
er pants to augment its production,
which are operated when there is
trouble on account Of low water at
Ehe hydro electric plants.
Engineers assert that there IS
scarcely any place west that they
know Of where a company depends
absolutely upon its hydro-electrlc|
plants for Its entire power supply
In every case the company has
steam plant capable Of furnishing its
fuu amount Of power If necessary.
Thus. in computing the cost OF con-
strucLion and maintenance. the com
constructing two plants-rhs hydro
electric plant TO operate when pos
sible- and the steam plant 70 oper-
ate as an auxiliary when necessary
Hydro-EIecfrIe Power Cheapest.
at would be cheaper for the Stone
Webster plant at FL Paso. for in
stance said Louis C. Hi1, former
consulting engineer for the Roose-
welt project, TO maintain its Fl Paso
plant complete with all employees con-
stauIy on the payroll and still buy
power from Elephant Butte dam.
when it could get it. Whether II
would be able TO furnish power 10
the city OF Fl Paso at present prices
and construct the hydro electric
plants as wen as keep up its steam
plant IA FL Paso. is merely a prob
lem OF mathematics But If the
water users should build these hydro
electric plants, IL would certainly pay
the FL Paso company to shut down
ats steam plant whenever i could and
buy the cheaper power rom Ele-
plant Butte.
ct do not believe Fl P1so VIII
ever get cheaper power by con-
gfrucffOu Of the Elephant Butte
hvdro-electric plant, but IL would
get more-fhat Is all
1T now costs the stone ebster
company $3.50 ton for coal in FL
paso for making its electricity. This
makes the coal cost 0.375 Of a cent
per pound
High Cost Of Generation
GAS It takes three pounds OF coal
TO generate a l-il0Watt hour Of cleo
tricity. that means that coal alone Is
costing the Stone-Webster company