New Britain herald., 1924-10-08
He said there is represented np-

He said there IS represented np- proXimately $6O,O0o,00o worth of machinery standing idle between New York and Boston when the power houses in that section are carrying their peak or maximum leads, This represents 60O,000 horse power at Sl00 per horse pow CT production cost, which is the spare capacity equipment. If these stations were conNected he said. three -fourths of this could be put to work.
 Nights and Sundays all individual plants are operating at new low load. There is litNe demand for power on nights, Sundays and holi- days, but there is some demand. Hospitals need elevptor service and other places require power every minute throughout the year, In- stead of running each plant at low load and a maximum cost, by con meeting the plants, one unit would carry peak load and supply all the demand.
 Several years ago he said the Bridgeport plants were hauling coal from Pennsylvania 10 supply their power while sufficient water to op- crate the plant was running to waste in the Connecticut river.
 Tells of Realty "HoId-ups"
 One of the difficulties in develop ing this inter-connecting power pro- ject, he said, was in the fact that the power companies have no right of eminent domain in Connecticut such as the railroads have and they are continually running up against greedy land owners who hold them up for prohibitive prices He told Of one case where a man took in piece of almost useless swamp land in payment of a debt, then wanted to charge the power company $l5,- GOO for small corner of the swamp. Other property owners in the sec ton had given options at fair values. The company refused to pay the mans price and strung its wires around the other side of the noun tain. The neighbors lost their sales through this mans greediness and now they are holding indignation meetings, to discuss the situation.
 Before this inter- communicating plan can materialize he said the state must pass law making it pos- sible for the corporations to put up power lines through the country, paying for land it uses at it's value.
 He described at some length plans now under way to increase the ca pacity and service in the section in- volVing New Britain which gets a sudden and startling reduction in rates, but that eventual economies are bound to be reflected in cost to the ultimate consumer.
 He said there now are three cir cles being developed under this the ory. They take in the Hartford plant, the Springfield, Chicopee and Turner's Falls territory and the De- von and Stevenson plants. These three groups are the source of sup ply he said. New Britain gets its power mostly from Devon, the Wa terbury plant being used now only as an auxiliary plant.
 S4O0,000 Appropriated
 He said Hartford now has a new and efficient plant and an old and inefficient plant. With the inter connecting system the old plant need not be used. He also said there are periods of the year when there is a surplus of water power going to waste in the Housatonic river. He said rights of way were being ac- ouired farther east with the eastern power plants, connecting with the New England power company in Massachusetts and that at the pres ent time seven companies, including the Connecticut Light and Heat Co. have appropriated s4o0,0o0 prelim- mary work in getting the plants con- nected and to reduce operating cost. He further stated that a general connection Of New England power plants, including New York and Bos- ton, would make it possible 10 pool consumers so as to be enabled to bring down Canadian water power He said power cannot be transmit ted from Canada now, because il would require $50 miles of trans mission at a cost Of a quarter of a million dollars. Even with this con- dition no manufacturer could abso- lutely rely on that service. Inter, ; connection is absolutely necessary to make possible the absorbtion ot water power" he said.
 He was asked some questions or the subject of tidal power, the Ba! of Fundy with it's so foot tides be ing mentioned. He said this va: tried out in France but he did no think it had reached very success full stage. He said the inter-connect } ing plan is being adopted in France and Belgium. but in England whert everything must be underground th' fixed charges are so high that there isn't the universal use of power a. in America. He also said there wa , considerable duplication of powe
 production in London. Some indi
 vidual plants in France he said ar 2 carrying 60 per cent reserve ca
 pacity.