Evening star., 1924-05-15
SEES POWER PLANT
BY 1890 ADVANTAGE
Col. Kelly, Federal Commission
Chief Engineer, Before
House Committee.
COMPETITION HELD VAIN
Says Emergency Should Be Han
died in Connection With Pepco.

Col. William Kelly, chief engineer
of the Federal Power Commission,
was theNprincipal witness at the con-
tinued hearing on the Chain Bridge
and Great Falls hydroelectric power
development today before the special
subcommittee Of the House District
committee. He again emphasized that
il is economically advantageous to
power consumers in the District of
columbia to have the Potomac River
development in operation in 1880,
using the present steam installations
o. the Potomac Electric Power Com
pany.
William F. Ham, president of the
Potomac Electric Power Company,
asked questions, not in opposition,
but to develop for certainty wheth-
Sr the government development would
ne able to supply the Potomac Elec-
trlc Power Company with energy at
such reduction under the present
cost of production as to result in a
substantial saving in the cost to the
general consumers.
Representative p Walton Moore,
democrat. Virginia, co-author with
representative Fred n. Zihlman. Re
publican, Maryland, who is conduct
ing the hearings, having completed
MS work on several special lnVeSti ga
Hons. is attending the hearings.
Competition ImpracticabIe.
Col. Kelly again went on record
that il would be impracticable to
develop the water power unless the
energy generated could be distribute ed
through some arrangements with the
Potomac Electric Power Company
IL was incredible, he said, to think
OF two competing concerns.
The testimony was mostly tech
nicaI
Col. Kelly was asked, in view of
the present flood damages, if a flood
was likely to injure the dam which
II IS contemplated to build at Chain
Bridge. He replied not if the dam
~as properly built and that it would
b. just as safe as any dam in the
world
Much of the discussion before the
coTmlttee today centered about the
valve and capacity of the existing Po-
TONIC Electric Power Company plant
President Ham said that up to the
GIG of 1928 the plant had a capacity
OF $4,000 kilowatts. that a unit of
present plans call for another 10000
kllowatt installation in 1927 or 1928
Mr.. Ham questioned Col. Kelly, ex-
plalning that the Potomac Electric
Power Company's interest is to find
out when power would be ready from
the Potomac River development to be
delivered to them for distribution.
Col. Kelly replied that the plan in
the Tyler report, as checked over by
MIN, provides for delivery in 1880.
During the discussion between Col.
Kelly and Mr.. Ham it was agreed
that delay in making appropriations
would result in the necessity for the
Potomac Electric Power Company to
make increased installations, some of
which are now contemplated within
The period before the hydroelectric
development could be completed, and
that these enlarged steam installa-
uons would delay the time at which
use of hydroelectric energy could be
had by the people at a material cost
reduction
Favors Early Completion.
Representative Keller, Republican,
Minnesota, stressed the fact that it
would be advantageous both to the
people and to the power company to
have appropriations made and the
earliest possible date.
Mr.. Ham asked Col. Kelly If it was
understood that the Potomac Electric
Power Company should enlarge its
plant to take care of the demands of
the government and the citizens dur
ing the period required for Potomac
River development. Col. Kelly replied
that every public utility has to make
provision for taking care of it's load"
The question was also raised by Mr
Ham regarding the nine mile lake
which is to be created by the dam at
Chain bridge, whether the river banks
would not be rendered unsightly by a
ten-foot drop, which Col. Kelly said
was anticipated during certain sea-
sons. Representative Blanton also
iEsa Sa fe5 P9S5iblity MI Ham
as diligent in checking up present
day production costs as in checking
over the cost for the hydroelectric
development.
report of Maj. NJ. c. Tyler, which is
the basis of Col. Kelly's testimony,
was made in 1921. During the five
year period in which that report was
being prepared and since, there has
been such development in the cleo
trical industry as to take care of
increased costs by greater efficiency
and at the same time reduce the cost
Of production. For example, the
ably less than in 1919 notwithstand-
ing the fact that there was an in
crease of sI.24 ton in the price of
coal
Mr. Hams questioning made It
plain that he didn't see how the pub
lie is to be benefited unless the gov
ernment could deliver energy a. a
cost less than the Potomac Electric
Power Company now has as a result
of considerable economies developed
during the last fve-year period and
with the prospect that the production
costs will be still further reduced.
The Great Falls water power hear
ing viii be continued tomorrow at 10
o'clock in the District committee
Cen William c. Black will be a wit
DASS-