San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-01
ELECTRIC COMPANIES
STAND ON THRESHOLD
OF HUGE DEVELOPMENT
Generation of Power in Next
Seven Years to Be More
Than in All History.
By VI. II. AYLESWORTH.

With an output of approximately
fifty.one billion kslowatt hours and
with over $750,OOO,OO0 raised for re-
funding, new construction, extensions
and betterments, the electric light and
power companies of the country dur
ing 1922 continued the same steady
march Of progress and growth main
tanned by them for the past fifteen
years. While the appropriations for
new construction in 1922 made a new
record. the industry is in reality only
on the threshold of a great, cOmpre-
hensive and complete development era.
1t will be called upon TO generate with
in the next seven years as much
electricity as it has generated so far
during its entire history. The mere
contemplation of the possibilities con-
fronting the electric utilities taxes nor
NAL credulity, because at no time has
the development program ever been
able 10 keep very much ahead Of the
demand
The Harvesting Of the nations
water powers alone and the contribu-
ton of their energy TO the productive
wealth and prosperity of the country
will require vast sums of money
every year for the next decade or
two. Already applications are on file
with the Federal Power Commission
involving 17,692,000 primary horse
power and projects, aggregsting g.
100000 primary horsepower are now
under construction. The estimated
capital involved in the projects
granted preliminary or final permits
and licenses is $77S,OO0,O0O, and the
transmission, distribution. and ultimate
utilization of the electricity generated
by them will inv,[c an additional
expenditure approaching five billion
dollars. These estimates do not take
into account requisite reserve steam
plant equipment, which will undoubted-
ly carry the total well above the six
billion dollar mark.
But 100000 horsepower is only a |
small part of the whole. The total
development is 54.0OO,OOO, and il is |
expected that in the ordinary course |
of events all of the 1852 900 horse.
power applied for. will be in operation |
by 1890, with many new projects under |
construction or in contemplation.
While much of this hydrO-electric |
energy will be used to replace the
electricity now generated in coal |
burning power stations, there will be |
no let-up in the erection of huge
steam turbine stations, particularly in |
the great industrial centers in the !
East. Here there is only water power
enough to supply a small part of the
available load, and the great bulk of |
electricity will have to be generated :,
as it is at present, in large, modern,
coal-burning power houses. The ten
dency, however, will be to replace the
many small stations, by a few larger
ones and 10 locate these whenever 1
possible close TO the coal mines. This
in turn will give impetus TO the con-
structiOn of high-tension transmission
systems with vOltages ranging as high
as 100000.
The electrical public utilities in the
United States surpass in size and out
put those Of any other country in
the world. Their development is
tribute to the genius, still and daring
of private enterprise, for more than
% per cent of the entire output of
electricity generated by the public
utilities Of the country comes from
power stations privately owned but
regulated as 10 service and rates by
public service commissions.
CoPyrisa;. 1922. ),