The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1926-12-31

ost promising economic tact IN
For years every industry in
Elizabeth City has been handi-
capped for lack of cheap cleo
trio power. Those industries
dependent upon electricity for
light and power were never
certain of their supply. Many
industries that desired electric
power were afraid to change
from gas and steam engines be-
cause they could not depend
upon the local power supply.
And. more. any new industry that
might be persuaded TO consider
Elizabeth City az n location, im-
mediately SHE'D off because it could
not command adequate power here.
In the Piedmont esection of North
Carolina cheap and abundant hydro
electric power was available for
everybody. Millions upon millions
Of Northern capital flowed into the
Piedmont section where there were
CHEAP factory sites, cheap labor and
a cheap and unfailing source OF
electrical energy.
Here at Elizabeth city we had
the cheap factory sites, the home
sites. the eager and trustworthy
labor supply and accessibility 10
markets. But we didn't have the
super-p0wer.
But this newspaper thinks from
two to 90 years ahead OF It's town.
More than two years ago this news
paper began to talk super-power for
Elizabeth City. The Duke Interests
were interviewed. The late j. z.
Duke himself assured the editor g
this newspaper that super-power
should be available and practicable
for Elizabeth City. Hertford and
Edenton. And now the super-power
is here. i ,.
What 1t Means
Elizabeth City has been strip
Cling along with an antiquated eie
tric power plant supposed to !
operatet by. two units of 600 III.
each. capable of generating 900 ]
w. Of. electricity. As,n matter e.
fact the plant was almost .eontin
ally out of repair. with often n
more than 600 Ii. r. of energy be''
| generated. There have been da"s
when 1t didn't. turn q wheel. /"
years this plant was privately o"H
cd by outside capitalists who
motto was not ''the public be dan'
ned No; they were. more ar"
CANT than that: their motto sec
cd TO be, "the public be goddame'
About two years ago the city pu"'
chased the privately owned ligh'
plant, together with the water
works and sewerage. 1t was an
narent that the city would have 20
huild an entire new electric Hight
plant to supply the city's immedi-
ate needs and to anticipate reason
able future needs.
/ The city planned to build q 2.ooo
IT, r. plant capable Of generating
800 X. W. Of electrical energy.
The plant would have cost S31oooo
to 100000. 1t would have taken
y yeur or more TO build it and get
If going and new discoveries and IN
| ypntions might have rendered It
! obsolete in few years.
But supcr-power comes this week
with 200 II. p. available for El'z-
abeth City at once and. I'm response
to demand for more, the amount or
mower available could be doubled
i'm few weeks.
More Than 100000 II. p.
Instead of our present plant OF
GOO TO 1.aW II. L. and instead OF a
new plant with Il maximum capa-
city of 1000 II. p, Elizabeth City
now draws from interconnected
steam and bydro-electric plants,
! from many points in North Carolina
land Virginia, having Il combined
rating of 216.1O0 II. p. Elizabeth
City would have spent less than half
a million dollars for a power plant
Of its own. One Of the plants from
Which Elizabeth City will draw
its power in future will cost five
million dollars alone.
Cheaper Power
| II has cost Elizabeth City four
cents per X. W. to produce electri.
cal enegry i'm its old plant. Eliz.
Iabeth City planned to build a new
plant that would generate the same
enegry at cost Of two cents oI
more per K. w. Elizabeth City brvs
its power from the super-poweI
company, with all the resources OF
the super.power company behind IT.
for a cent and .f.ctiol per K. W
(Ccrti.:l-= - paeo Tccr;