Imperial Valley press., 1935-06-03

Granting that our companies have
contributed greatly to the develop
ment of Imperial Valley and pioneer
ed its electrical service, yet 1t may
be we'll contended that the possi-
bility of developing power on the
All-American canal represents a
potential asset to the Imperial IT.
rigation District which should not
be neglected or given away
With this contention fully agree
but this statement does not involve
the conclusion that such plants
should be built in advance of a
definite need Cor the power or that
when built, their electrical output
in the interests of the people can
be best distributed by the district
Boulder Canyon Power Will Shortly
Create a Great Surplus
Boulder Canyon power will be
brought in on the first Of next
January and will throw on the mar
ket great volume of cheap elec-
trical energy which 1t will take the
entire Southern California market
period of from five to 10 years
to absorb To give you an idea OF
the figures the maximum power
demands of Southern California in
the past have been around 4,300,-
100000 annually, whereas Boulder
Canyon will be capable alone OF
developing 5,888,000,000 kw-hrs. OF
primary and secondary power.
The Southern SierraS Power COM
pany is firmly committed by con-
tract with the United States to pur-
chase annually up to 114,000,000 XIV
hrs. of power from the dam-ap-
proximately twice the present re-
quirements of Imperial and Coach
: ella Valleys, and will be in posi-
tion to carry this power directly to
the valley over transmission lines
already constructed. This power
from Boulder Canyon dam will be
subject to more effective regulation
than canal power and can be layed
down in Imperial Valley at an out
of-pocket cost approximately equal
to canal power.
The Boulder Canyon power de-
velopment further possesses the ad-
vantage of having tied up, under
long-term contracts with existing
distributing agencies, at least 80
per cent of the Southern California
market. Under these circumstances,
the construction of the All-Ameri-
can canal power plants is wholly
without economic justification at
this time.
Southern Sierras Company Is In
Superior Position to Economically
Distribute Canal Power
| Just as soon as market demands
justify, All-American canal power
/ should be developed. At such time
The Southern Sierras Power COM
! pany will be in a far more advan-
/ tageouS position to distribute the
power in the interests of the people
than will the irrigation district, for
the following reasons:
First: The company today owns
| the transmission and distribution
/ facilities required for the distribu-
lion of the power These facilities
/ could only be duplicated by the
/ district at a cost running into mil
lions of dollars.
Second The company will re-
/ ouire no costly standby plant as
called for in case of district distribu-
ton. as it will be in position when
/ interruptions III canal plant serv-
/ ice occur, to supply the valley de-
mands from outside sources. This
! item alone will save the investment
! of around one million and half
dollars in the proposed diesel stand
! by plant.
Third: The company's trans
mission lines leading to the valley
and it's interconnection with the
other large electrical systems in
Southern California will permit sur
J plus power generated at canal
/ plants being transmitted to points
| of possible market outside the val
ley.
Fourth The annual load factor
on the company's system will be
substantially better than that pos
sible on the proposed district sys
tenn, increasing the percentage OF
usable power that can be generated
by the canal plants.
Fifth: Distribution by the COM
pany will avoid the inevitable waste
and expense resulting from the
duplication of investment and serv-
ice involved in two competing
agencies serving the people of the
valley. Under such conditions both
agencies would inevitably operate at
loss and in the long run the cost
to the public of electrical service
would be higher.
Basis On Which Company viii Be
Prepared To Distribute ALL
American Canal Power
When market conditions justify
the bringing in of the canal power
plants, The Southern Sierras Power
company will be prepared to enter
into long-term contracts with the
irrigation district, providing:
/. That the district reserve such
part of the power output OF the
canal plants as may be required for
purely district purposes such as
operation of dredges, pumping OF
water to higher levels for irriga-
ton or drainage, lighting of dis
trict buildings, operation of district
machine shops, ETC., and to facili-
tate this use the company will af-
ford standby service and permit its
facilities to be used up to their
available capacity for the trans