Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-01-18
Editors Letter COX
What Superr0wer Means
4 Maine Example
Washington, y. c..
IanuarN- IL 1904

January H. 1924.
( Hon. Charles z. Quincy. Chairman,
Public Utilities Commission of Maine
My Dear Chairman Quincy:
Whether or not Maine can better
develop its resources alone or in
partnership is practical kind of
question. Being Maine Yankee
myself. ] know the force Of any ar
gumcnt that appeals both to the COM
munitv pockethook and TO the civic
conscience. We like to realize that
what pays is also morally right.
think the argument in support of
the superpower Interstate develop
ment of power resources is this kind
CT q double argument; it pays and
it's right
Considering then the welfare side
of the argument first. let me present
the facts that show Enthusiastically
just what IS Names immediate adj
vantage m utilizing its water powers.
The possibilities of long distance
Transmission in up-to-date practice
make water power no LONGER a To-
Called resource. The market for
electricity has expanded and this
larger market warrants larger pow
or plants than any local demand
would warrant. Frankly. 7 can I'M
derstand small town stuff better
than ! can some larger affairs. so
I'll ask the privilege of illustrat ting
this princinle of on eXpanded mar
ket and the full utilization thus
made practicable by some facts from
home refer to the Skowlrcgan de-
velcrmert and will repeat the argu-
ment once used in talking with
Governor Parkhurst.
Under conditions such as have pre-
vailed generally on tho water power
sites in northern New Ens'and there
were formerly 1T the Skowhegan
Falls perhaps o5 wheels. large and
small. With an installed canacity of
about $500 horsepower. The n.y.
draulic head for these wheels was
from II to % feet and the older
wheels are believed 10 have had an
overall efficiency of 80 per. cent. To-
day. the model power honse at
Skowhegan contains four turbo-gen-
orators Of 1850 horsepower each. with
room for a fifth: the head Is 25 feet
now and will be eventually 20 feet:
the present water wheel efficiency is
90 per cent. and the overall eff
cheney Is probably 81 per cent. An
effective Installed capacity of 21.0ha
rors epdwer is substituted for the old
$500 horsepower. To comnlete the
comparison between the old and the
new. the annual OUTPUT of power at
the Skowhcgan plant Is already five
times what the old wheels furnished
to industry.
Vet there IS larger asnect of
this full utilization of the Slowhe-
ran Falls. The local demand for in
dustrial power was fully met by us
inc q small fraction of the natural
energy available here and even that
fraction was wastefully used. Nor
could anv immediate demand for
more power for local use he forecast
that would warrant the large outlay
necessary to harness the Kenrehec
as it has now been harnessed. That
large investment of capital was
made feasible only when the need of
electricity in the who'll central Maine
region had come to exceed the capac-
itv OF other plants. TIE wider mar
ket made the local development a
good business proposition.
The lesson is plain indeed Had the
citizens of Skowl1egan in town meet
ing assembled voted that no cleo
tricitv generated within the town
limits should he exported across the
fOWn llneSs Ut iidp tiiN ,tbitN S'sh
rnissioners taken similar action re-
garding the transmission of electric
current across the boundaries Of
Somerset county II takes no unusual
vision to see that so per cent. Of the
waters of the Kennebec wonld con-
tinue for mahy years to flow Idly
past the island where tho modern
mower house now stands Had Show
hogan sought to keen her water pow
nr to herself 1t would have continued
In greater part to be like the talent
wrapped in the naphin--unused
capita1
One significant fact needs to be re-.
corded: Skowhegan today is I'M
'doubtedly using more power and
cheaper power than she was before