The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-05-20
? ] W [ R CO ASKS ID USE PUBLIC DAM
Officials Claim For Half MiI- lion They Can Produce 10,- 900 More Horsepower For Use Of Tuscaloosa And Bl0Cton Mine Section
 YEARLY MAINTENANCE TO BE LESS THAN $7,500 Public Service Commission Hears Witnesses Advocate Giving Alabama Power Co. Use Of Government Project Costing Millions

OSe''J "'i'O''S
 Petition of the Alabama Power company for permission to develop hydroelectric power at Lock IT on the Warrior river was taken under ad visement Saturday morning by the Alabama public service commission. following hearings Saturday morning, during which all opposition to the petition either was withdrawn or failed to appear. Action will be with held until the commission has con- sidered evidence presented Saturday morning by the power company in support of their petition.
 The projected plant will cost ap- pi oXimately s500.0o0 and will involve annual maintenance expense of $6,000 to s7,500, it was brought out at Saturdays hearing, which began at o'clock. Annual saving of ap- proXimately s120,000 is estimated I. the hydro electric plant is installed, representing the difference in cost of operation of steam plant using coal as fuel The initial unit of a two-unit plant will be of 10, 900 horse power and can be installed and ready for operation within 12 months from the time permission is granted the company to go ahead with the work. it was explained.
 
 which was rather short one, was presided over by A. G. Patterson, president of the public service com mission, and was attended by As sociate Commissioners Frank R. Nor gan, and FitZhugh Lee, and I. r. Me- Donnell, consulting engineer of the Alabama public service commission, and Hugh H. White, assistant attor- ney general of Alabama, and special attorney for the public service com- mission.
 Protest Is Withdrawn.
 In opening the deliberations at the session. Thomas J. Judge. Birming- ham, attorney for the Birmingham Water, Light and Power company, explained that an investigation had been made into the claims of the company for prior rights to the power site at Lock IT, and while it was found that the company did hold rights for the development of the site it would not be practical for an independent company to operate an isolated plant there, even should the commission grant the request. Sue cessful operation of a plant at the site is dependent upon the ability of the company to tie in with transmis- sion lines conveying the power to places where available use could be made of it. Mir. Judge also said that conference had been held between OffICldlS or the company anu Ol 0lc Alabama Power company, and that satisfactory arrangements could be devised to make it desira ble for the stockholders of the old organization to relinquish all claims to the site in favor of the Alabama Power com pany. Pursuant to this stand, MT. Thomas requested that the protest which had been filed with the com mission should he withdrawn, and urged on the part of the Birmingham Water. Light and Power company that the petition of the Alabama Power company be granted. In ac- cordance with Mir Judges request the protest was withdrawn, and tcsti- niony on the power company's peti- ton was started.
 F. P Cummings. commercial man ager of the Alabama Power company, Was the first witness called to the stand, and the power company's prin- eipal witness In the course of his testimony. Mr Cummings recounted facts relative to the projected plant. He stated that the dam at Lock IT was 63 feet high, and that it would lot be touched in the construction of the power unlts water being siphoned over the top of the dam and into the hydroelectric sources. He said that testified that statistics on the flow of the Warrior river at the point at Lock r showed that the contem-
 
 of the plant could be obtained 62 per cent of the year, and that further power could be obtained from the installati ton of the second unit which would not be operated as long during the year as the first one. During times of low water, electric current could be furnished by the utilization of steam generating plants which will be kept ready for operating at any time. Line Ten Miles Long.
 Continuing in his testimony in an- swer to questions propounded by J. F. Thompson, Birmingham. attorney for the Alabama Power company, MT. Cummings said that power from the plant could be conveyed over line running to the Kellerman line, which ties into the Tuscaloosa line. The line from the plant to the kellerman line would be about ten miles long, he said. and will involve an eXpendi- ture of approximately S225,000. By construction of the new plant, new source of steady power, and more uninterrupted power will be supplied for Tuscaloosa and the Blocton coal fields, Mir. Cummings pointed out. A number of new line constructions also are proposed conditional upon granting of permission of the hydro electric plant, which were explained in detail by the power company's commercial manager.
 In speaking of demands on the Alabama Power company's system, Mir. Cummings explained that the capacity of the entire system was in the neighborhood of 150.0O0 horse power, of which about approximately 175.000 horsepower was supplied by hydro-electric sources. He said that the estimated demands on the system on December 31 would be approxi- mately 230,000 horsepower, and on December 3l, 1924. approximately 275,00O horsepower. In view of these anticipated demands, Mir. Cummings declared that it was absolutely re- ouisite that the Power company ob- tain permission for new hydro-elec- . tric power development. s. W. Hawkins, secretary of the Bir- mingham Water, Light and Power company, was the next witness to take the stand and explained that when the government had originally
 lCOntinued On Page TwOl