Evening star., 1924-05-09
READY SALE AWAITS
GREAT FALLS POWER
House D. C.. Committee Told Car
Fare and Other Costs Would
Be Reduced Here.
MAI. O'CONN0R IS HEARD
Testimony Features Opening of
Hearings on Project.

Wash in gton and adjacent territory
affords a ready market for all the
hydro-elecric power that can be de-
veloped from the Potomac River at
Great Falls and Chain bridge, with
three reservoirs further up for i'm
pounding the water, and this devel-
opment will result in lower costs, not
only for lighting, but street car
traffic, lower prices in department
stores and an abatement of the smoke
nuisance, the special subcommittee of
the House District committee was
told today when hearing on this SUBJ
ject opened
With Representative Fred N. Zihl-
man of Maryland, who. with Represen-
tative r. Walton Moore. Democrat
Great Falls development, presiding,
and Representative Moore present and
taking notes, and with representatives
of the public utilities corporations and
prominent Washington. Maryland and
Virginia industrial leaders taking a
keen interest in the proceedings, the
Importance Of the proposed legislation
was emphasized.
MAI. O'Connor Only Witness.
Maj j. A O'Connor, who has been
detailed to continue this study on
which Maj. NJ. c. Tyler made a very
encouraging report in 1921, which was
supported by the board of Army
engineers in charge of river and harbor
improvements and by the federal power
commission, was the only witness
heard today.
the Federal Power Commission. with
Col. Kelly, chief engineer for the
Federal Power Commission, and Maj.
Darlington, one of the best known
hydro-electric engineers in the United
States, are expected to testify when
the hearing is resumed tomo rrow
morning, especially with reference to
the Potomac River development as
a very important link in superpower
development.
Representatives of the Potomac
Electric Power Company, which
claims water rights at Great Falls
through owership of land on both
banks of the river, have assured the
subcommittee that they are not op-
posing the Great Falls development
if it can be shown that they can get
power cheaper which they can pass
along at reduced price to the consumer
Power Consumption Assured
Washington will be able econom-
ically to use a very large percentage
of all the power that can be develop
ed at Chain Bridge as a first stage
in the Potomac River development
when that power is ready for con-
sumption by 1880. The public util-
tiles in Washington alone at their
present rate of increased consump-
ton can use all the power from the
Chain Bridge development by 1s46,
faafifed
There will be a market for all the
power from the full development
contemplated at Great Falls and
Chain Bridge with the three reser-
voirs estimated for at Great Cacapon,
the north fork of the Shenand oath
River and the south branch of the
Potomac River, by 1885.
1t was emphasized that the cost of
hydroelectrcity is about the same as
the cost of COAL
The present cost of power in Wash
fngton is 10 cents per kilowatt hour
OF that approximately IL mills is the
cost of generating and the other cost
and $40 mills, is for distribution.
general expenses and profit on private
investment.
Saving on Generation.
AS the plans for Potomac River de-
velopment do not contemplate the
federal governments engaging in dis
tribution of the power to private con-
sumers, the only saving that can be
figured upon is on the IL mills cost
of generating. Maj. O'Connor pointed
out that of this mills is the present
production cost and mills represents
fixed charges that continue whether
there is consumption or not. 1T is es-
timated that the Potomac River de-
velopment will Immediately reduce
that mills cost to 5 and 40 mills
which gives an immediate saving of
1 and $40 mills per kilowatt hour and
eventually a saving of and $40
mills.
with Potomac River development
there would be much greater saw
ing to the public utilities in Wash
ington than is repr esented in these
figures, because they get q special
rate for quantity consumption, which
guarantees a steady load for the
generating plants. Therefore, the
people of Washington would not only
get cheaper electricity in their homes,
but the river development would make
possible cheaper car fares, and as the
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