New Britain herald., 1924-08-18
N. E. SUPER.POWER
 DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Unified System and Creation Ol
 New Resources Projected


 states, If they are to be supplied or
 .n economical and adequate basis
 Hseesltate the extension Of lntsEeeh-
 hsetion between the different systems
 the building of large, centralized,
 steam,eleetrie plants located at stTatsH
 sic noints and the development of the
 large hydFe electric projects. accord
 inE 10 the conclusions reached iR the
 report of the engineering subseemmii-
 tee of the Northeast supefpoweF eomr
 mittes made public today al the de-
 partmsnt of commerce, Herbert
 Hoover Is chairman Of the committee,
 These recommendations in the committees opinien will mean the saving Of over bn,o0o.oho tens of coal
 less cost; security in power supplies against interruption with its losses through disturbed production and un- employment; larger reserves of power through which other industrial de- veiepment need not lag. awaiting power construction; eleetrifieation Of transportation with increase in its efficiency; extension Of power usea to the farm and saving of human eff. fort.
 The present report Is an eutgrowth of . conference held in New York city last October. with the consent of President Coolidge. between Secretary Hoover and the chairman of the state utilities commission of the il north- eastern states. This conference led to the formation of the northeastern superpower committee. composed Of representatives of the states and of the federal government. While others were engaged on the legal questions involved. an engineer subcommittee undertook a comprehensive survey of the technical aspects of superpower development in the states affected. Their report, now given 10 the public will be referred to a meeting of the full committee to be held some time next fall.
 CotAccticut in Group
 The survey of power facilities and power needs made by the engineer subcommittee covers the states of Maine. New Hampshire. Vermont,
  ticut, New York, New Jersey, Penn sylvania. Delaware. Maryland and the District of Columbia. There has ben included also some reference to the states of Ohio. Virginia and West Vir- ginia, since under certain circum- stances power in these regions will be | contributory.
 This whole region comprises one of 1 several power areas Into which the | United States naturally divides itself, according to the engineers. Forty per | cent of the country's population, con- suming 50 per cent of the nations | electrical power production and oper- ating 60 per cent of the primary power of the whole country is con- centrated in this particular area. The use of electrical power therein has been increasing at the rate of ten per cent per annum, and in the commit tees opinion the demand will reach sos billion kilowatt hours in 1e3U.
 The demand for electrical power within this area is supplied from water and from coal," the report says. The present developed water power k about 3,036,000 horsepower; the total potential water power available 90 per cent of the time Is 6,426,o00 horsepower. This Is increased to r. s1l,000 horsepower available 50 per { cent of the time.
 At present, we have developed about 3S per cent of the total water power ultimately available in this area. But practical development of water power will probably be such that not over 25 per cent of the total power demand in any year can be met ' from this source. Principal depen- dence, therefore. must be placed upon generation of power from coal.
 Nearly 200 Power Companies
 There are in this area nearly 200 U different utility companies engaged in power production and distribution, I, many under common ownership. Of V these about 45 per cent are technical o ly interconnected but only about 8 per h cent of the interconnections have ca ! pacity large enough for effective inter- change of power. Great economies in cost of production can be secured from the early effective interconnec- r ton of these utility systems, in some cases involving larger and systematic high voltage transmission"
 Such interconnection, according to J he engineers, will lead to the reduc- ion of the amount of reserve equip- a nent, better average load factor n through pooling of daily and seasonal u oad variation and wide diversifica- a ion of use through increased indus n rial consumption" and more security fl n power supply against Interruption " y many causes. It will also mean hat available water power in the a 'rea can be much more advanta- b seously applied to carry base or peak p oad ss local conditions may from the flow of streams, and thus 8; ,ring into practical use larger quan- p ity of water power than would oth- 1T 'rwise be possible. Finany, power S would be available more quickly to meet growing demands.
 The report goes on to point out that he economic generation and distribu- L ion of power vitally requires that it 'e produced in large plants. Present 'rsctice indicates that such plants rs hould be constructed with total al a pacities Of from 2oo.oo0 to SOl.000 c, ,ilowatts. using generators Of not less h, han 10000 kilowatts each. Because le reat plants of this character require is immense quantities of water for con Nj ensation purposes. their location will m e controlled by considerations of ti rater supply. A study of available rater supply has led the engineers to V L. 1anaI,,.iz. ,L.4 .t.. iza...-. ! ..i