Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1921-01-01
MOBRIDGE SITE BEST
Will in all Probability be Selected as Site
for States Great Hydro-Electric
Installation.


of Mead & Seastone upon the feasibility
of the development of the Hydro Elec
trio Power from the Missouri river, has
been received. The report covering "a
pages is condensed into - findings AZ
follows:
/ That the physical conditions at the
various sites selected by Mead and Sea
stone are favorable to the safe develop
ment of hydro-eIectric power plants, in
fact more so than at several sites al
which important dam structures have
been built under our supervision on
other rivers and which have safely stood
the test of time and floods.
2. That the Mobridge site because oi
its lesser capacity, better foundation
conditions, proximity to railroad and
consequent lower cost is the logica
location for the first development con
sidering the power market now in
sight.
g. That the type Of development pro
posed by Mead and Seastone is practic
able one and the generating capacity
indicated is not too great.
4. That the water resources reported
are conservative, That great floods COM
paratively speaking are not to be ex-
pected and that such maximum floods
as have occurred in the past will not
occur a. frequent intervals.
3. That the cost Of development Of
the water power plant with 80 foot head
at Mobridge as estimated by Mead and
Seastone closely agrees with our own
estimates for this plant on the basis OF
1919 prices, and with the present down
ward trend Of labor and material prices,
1t is reasonable to expect under proper
management that conditions will soon
become stabilized SO that this plant may
be built at or below the figures of Mead
and Soastone Our estimate for the
dam and plant is SO, AGO. 600, or Ia
above the estimate of Mead and Sea
stone.
8. That the cost of the transmission
system expedient at the outset, estimat-
ed by Mead and Seastone at $7,O44, 600,
is by us computed at 1888, 900, or an
increase Of about ll.2 per cent
T. That the total cost of construc-
ton of plant and transmission system
SIG, l47, 600, is by US placed at SlI 233,
600, or a combined increase Of about SIP
per cent.
s. That the details and secondary
transmission lines being dependent up
on actual conditions of future power
market at present undetermined, it is
not possible to predict with accuracy at
the present time the reduction in cost to
the state if snch secondary lines and sub
stations were constructed by the various
communities. A more extended survey
of the power market possibilities should
be made.
8. That the available market seemed
to offer in 1919 load of about thirty
million kilowatt hours per annum now
developed from fuel and for which
hydro-electric power might proftably
be substituted. On the basis Of a growth
in the market for the sale of power Of
ten per cent per annum, the available
market in 1925 should be approximately
hfty-three million kilowatt hours.
10. That the market can be expected
| to increase at a rate of at least ten per
cent per annum provided sufficient pow
or is sold at that rate can be established
which will encourage the use of addi-
tional power.
IL. That the reported cost of power
from fuel at the various power plants of
the State depending at present upon
tluctuating fuel market We have not at
tempted to check.
II. That the prices at which power
must be sold to power users to be at
tractiye must be below station costs and
in some cases must be as low as fuel
costs. The selling price should be low
enough to enable the present power
companies to reduce the existing power
rates in order that a full measure OF
benefit may be received from the pro-
posed development.
l3. That the average unit cost at
which power can be developed at the
| Mobridge site when the entire output
Amounting to S7,6O0,00O kilowatt hours
| "a a,lI k.,
to our figures 73 per cent kilowatt hour
with full investment included.
| IA. That the average price at which
power must probably be sold from the
proposed hydro-electric plant would be
about SIC assuming that the State build
the secondary transmission lines aud
sub stations.
| Is. That the selling price above men
toned could fairly and reasonably be
increased with gradual rise in fuel
prices.
Is. That based on the prices suggest
ed and consequent returns from an
initial market of 30,000,000 kiowatt
hours per annum, which was the esti-
mated available market in 1919, the in
come for the nrst seven years would not
be sufficient to pay interest and operat-
ing expenses but would necessitate de-
ferring depreciation charges and the in
yestment of further sum of about
81, 900, 900 to meet temporarily unearned
interest on the investment during those