Evening star., 1924-07-21
BIC SAVING HERE
IN SUPERPOWER
Development of 10000
Horsepower at Great Falls
Part of Hoover's Plan.
COAL ECONOMY IMMENSE
Engineers Report Says Proposed
Combination of Plants Will Save
100000 Tons Annually.

HydroeleCtric development of the
80, 600 horsepower at Great Falls on
the Potomac River, now running TO
waste, which received great en-
couragement at hearings during the
last session of Congress. is given
strong impetus today in the report
known as the northeast superpower
area.
This shows that an annual saving
can be made of 50,0oO.ooO tons of coal.
that production costs can be lowered
with tremendous saving of human ef-
fort and with extension of electrical
utilities to the farms throughout the
land and West Virginia. including
the District of Columbia In this
region is concentrated 40 per cent
of the population of the entire
country, il consumes 30 per cent of
the kilowatt-hour production and
operates so per cent of the primary
power of this country.
This report shows that Great Falls
should be developed as an integral
part of the proposed-and coming
great lnterconnected power system
Secretary Hoover saw that progress
in the entire northeast section of the
country was being retarded bv con-
hict in the State laws and restricted
local vision. So, with the consent of
the President, he called into con-
ference representatives of the public
utilities commissions of IL states most
affected and Federal engineers. Com
mIttees were organized to study the
legal and engineering phases of the
problem of getting adequate and eco
nomically efficient power for this area
in the future. The report made pub
lie today is the report of the en-
glneer committeee. The legal aues-
tion is a much more complicated
one and the report of the legal com
mittee will not be forthcoming until
some time in October
Monopoly Not Intended.
Secretary Hoover has no thought
of disturbing the existing power com
panies. The idea is not to create a
great monopoly or trust to control
the power throughout this area which
includes IA States and tho DISTRICT
of Columbia, but to get close co-oner-
a'ioh between the existing power
companies, through nterconnection.
as an economically sound business
and conservation proposition.
The broad improvements REQUIRED
for future progress, which can be
had through such interconnection
drawing in some 200 different utilitv
companies now engaged in produc-
tion and distribution of power, as
recommended by Secretary Hoover in
his report are:
(a) Reduction of the amount of
reserve equipment.
(b) Better average load factor
through pooling of daily and seasonal
load variation and wide diversified
tion of use through increased indus
trial consumption.
tc) More security in power supply
against interruption by strikes, storms,
failure of transportation and equip
ment.
CD Available water power in this
area can be much more advantageous
ly applied to carry base or peak load
as local conditions may require.
/ (e) Interconnection makes possi-
BILE the use of secondary water power
which arises from the seasonal flow
of streams, and thus brings into prac-
tical use a larger quantity of water
power than would otherwise be pos
sible.
60 Power would be available more
quickly to meet growing demands.
Big Increased Demand.
The survey made by these en-
gineers shows that the power de-
mands of this entire northeast sec
ton are increasing tremendously.
about 10 per cent year, so that it
is nip and tuck with the power COM
panies to keep abreast of the
demand.
The startling fact was disclosed
that even if all the waterpower of
this region is developed by 1880. it
will still represent only about one
fourth of the power needed. Hence"
the Hoover report says, "our prin-
CONTINUED on Page 8, Column 81