Imperial Valley press., 1935-01-24
EDITORIAL PAGE
and
FEATURES
GOING AFTER POWER

Approval by the Imperial Irrigation
District board of directors of the report
of w. s. Cone, consulting engineer, rec
ommending fullest development of hy-
dro-electric energy from the All-Ameri-
can canal, and immediate construction of
a distribution system from the standby
plant to provide power until it can be OBJ
tanned from the canal, is in line with the
boards pledge to give the people of I'M
perial Valley the fullest benefits from
construction Of the canal.
Following approval of the report yes
terday the directors Immediately started
proceedings to apply for a loan of
$12,000,000 from the PWA funds to car
ry out its power plans.
1t is proposed to build power plants at
five drops on the canal, with a total ca
pacity of 10000 XIV, at a total estimated
cost of S6,620000; expand the standby
plant at Brawley to a capacity of $4,000
XIV to supply power until that from the
canal can be generated, at a cost of
S1,500,000; and construct a transmission
and distribution system to serve Imper-
ial and Coachella Valleys and adjoin-
ing areas at a cost of So, ,661 900.
The engineers report and the recon-
mendation of the districts own engineer,
NJ. j. Dowd, state that the local distribu-
ton system can be completed in year.
The canal will not be ready for three
years. Proceeding at once with the pow
er program as outlined will give Imper-
ial Valley cheap power two years in ad-
vance of the canals completion.
Present power rates, the report states,
can be reduced % per cent, resulting TO
users in saving of over S500000, for
the two years, and from the profits not
only pay for the carrying charges on the
proposed loan from the government but
also provide funds to pay the first in
stallment due under the canal contract
with the government. Net proceeds
from the entire power project are esti-
mated to be sufficient to meet the sue
ceeding instalments. 1t is also pointed
out that going ahead with the power pro-
gram at this time will provide more work
for valley residents, thereby relieving
the unemployment situation, something
that is of real Importance to this COM
munity.
Already various civic and semi-civic
organizations throughout the valley have
started endorsements of the districts
program. There is no doubt, based on
the results of the two elections validat-
ing the canal contract, that the people
of Imperial Valley are in accord with the
program.
The district boards action in deciding
to go ahead with the power plans is in
accordance with its policy of developing
this power for and by the people of I'M
perial Valley This policy was express
ed in resolution adopted by the board
on June %, 1888, declaring its intention
to have the power developed and dis
tributed by the district.
This action was suggested to the board
in an editorial appearing in The Press
on June 9, 1898, at the conclusion of
series of articles on the All-American
canal, which stated: MANY WHO
HAVE GIVEN THOUGHT TO THE
POWER DEVELOPMENT PHASE OF
THE CANAL BELIEVE THAT NO
DEFINITE ACTION SHOULD B E
TAKEN ON THE DISPOSAL OF THE
CANAL POWER UNTIL AFTER AN
OPINION HAS BEEN EXPRESSED
BY THE PEOPLE AT A POPULAR
ELECTION. IT is AN IDEA
WHICH THE PRESS ENDORSES"
The board s resolution of June %,
1888 reads: "* " 1T is FURTHER