Evening star., 1932-01-10
ELECTRICAL TRADE
BUDGET IS LOWER
Expenditures for Present
Year to Reach Total of
$450,OO0,OO0.
HneclaI plspstch to The Star.

Special Dispatch TO The Star.
NEW YORK, January 9-The cleo
eric light and power companies in the
United States will expend s455 900, 900
for expansion and improvement in
1892, according to analysis Of ar an
rual survey Just completed and an
nounced by Electrical World. The bud
get is 2s per cent less than actual ex-
penditures for 1881 reduction due In
large part tn a drop in generating
projects.
More than half Of the budget total
will go for extensions and improve
mentS Of local service. Distribution and
.substation expenditures will amount to
$2e3. .000,O 900. This sum accounts for
81 per cent of the total budget and is
SIS, 100000 less than expenditures for
distribution and substationS in 1881.
Transmission construction projects will
require S55,000,000 this year, as COM
pared with SCI 100000 last year.
Total Revenue.
The total revenue of the electric light
and power industry for 1881 was 81
l37O00OOO. Of this income, Sl,977,-
900 900 came from ultimate consumers
of electricity. The income total Is OF
per cent below the 1880 figure, but is
Is per cent above 1929. OF the total
income, $695 900 900 came from domes-
tic customers and S568 000,000 was re-
allied in retail commercial sales.
Wholesale light and power income was
S554OO0, ,0O0
Distribution Of energy to domestic
consumers in 1881 increased TT per
cent over 1890. Wholesale sales showed
a drop Of 85 per cent. Little change
is noted in retail commercial sales.
Electrical service in 1881 reached "a,
$4,000 customers and 0,44l, 900 homes.
The total of customers represents
gain Of 10000 over 1880. The electric
light and power industry also reaches
3.6l3,o0O retail commercial and 622 900
wholesale customers. 1t engages the
activities of 285,000 employees. The
survey of Electrical World reveals the
fact that 86 per cent of the urban
population Of the United States have
electrical service. In addition, it was
estimated year ago that 644, 900 farms,
or about 10 per cent of the total num-
ber. had electric connections, and the
count was growing then at the rate OF
100000 annually.
Energy is being generated in power
plants having an aggregate rating OF
80, $4,000 kilowatts, of which $780,
900 kiloWattS are driven by steam, 425,-
900 by internal combustion engines, and
100000 kilowatts by water power. The
service requires the use of 10000 miles
of transmission lines operated at 1000
volts or more, and at least $50, 900 miles,
or as much as our total railway mileage,
II the census minimum Of $500 volts
is adopted. In the industry power
plants 86,679, 100000 kilowatt-hours was
generated in 1881, 1882 100000 kilo-
watt-hourS from water power and the
remainder from fuels. Generation of
this energy called for the burning of
36,300,000 tons of coal, 100000 bar
rels of oil, and 1876 1000 eco, 900 cubic
feet Of natural gas.
AS a business, the electric light and
power industry employs a capital in
vestment of $12,4000O0, 600, and in
vested in 1881 s633, ,OO0, 900 in new con-
struction. 1t paid more than 5000,
900 in taxes.
Rate Declines.
1.-THE rate for domestic energy has
been steadily declining" says Electrical
World. For energy used in 1881 the
average was 5.87 cents per kilowatt-
hour; for 1880, sos; for 1929, 633
cents. 1t is now Is per cent lower tran
it was in 1925. Meanwhile revenue per
customer, s3l65 in 1929, $50 in 1880
rose to S34.l0 in 1881. The changes
can readily be traced to the expanding
use Of electric appliances and in the
past few years notably to the installa-
tion Of refrigerators, ranges and water
heaters. Continued large sales of these
appliances and the present lack of sat
uration Of the market leave little room
for doubt as to the future downward
trend of rates and upward trend of
revenue in this branch Of the electrical
industry"
Accounting for central station reve-
nues and energy output by regions, the
survey shows that the Middle Atlantic
area produced $603, 100000 Of revenue
for 81 ,42l, ,0O0, 900 kilowatt-hours in
1881, as compared with S599 900 900
and 22,003, 100000 kilowatt- hours in
1882 The industry in the East North
Central States had a total revenue in
1881 Of S485 100000 for 2O,376 900, 900
kllowatt-hours. as compared with $685.
100000 for 21,623, 900 900 kilowatt-
hours in 1880. Third in order come the
Pacific States, which expended SILL
100000 in 1881 for l2,053 900, 900 kilo-
Watt-hourS, as against S208 900 900 in
1890 for l1,9l5,OO0 900 kilowatt- t-hours.
Consumers in the South Atlantic States
expended S2O4 900 900 for 1O,lO6,OOO,-
1000 klowatt-hours in 1881, as against
ts2Ol 100000 for 1o,75l, 100000 kilowatt-
hours in 1880.
n New England Expenditures.
e New England expended $l9l. 900, 900
FOR 5973000,00 kilowatt-hours last
gear, as compared with $4,000. 900
paid in 1880 for 1882, 900, 900 kilowatt-
hours Of power. In the West North
Cen~ral region consumers utilized S.
6l7O00.o00 kilowatt-hours in 1881, pay
ing Sf76,000,0O0 In 1880 they paid
$l75.QQ0,000 for 5,739,0O0,O00 kilowatt-
hours. The sum of Sl27,0OO. 900 was
paid for 4,539,0 9,000,000 kilowatt- hours in
the West South Central area last year.
The totals compare with Sl34,OOO 900
for 5,047,000,000 kilowatt-hours con-
sumed in 1880. In the East South Cen
tral States the industry received in
1881 S890000 for 3,64l .O0O, 900 kilo-
watt-hourS, as compared with S8l. .OOO.-
900 for 3,546,OOO 900 hlowatt- hours the
year before. In the Mountain States,
consumers expended $56,0OO,OO in
1871 for = Q62 nm mn