Imperial Valley press., 1935-09-24
NORTIIROP DISCUSSES POWER IN
LETTER 10 HEAD OF DISTRICT

U00 OUO XIV. TO 34,OO0,OOO0 XIV. and
the kilowatt hour load from 40 bill
lion kilowatt hours-in 1922 to IS
billion kilowatt hours-in 1884
In speaking or writing about ex-
pensive transmission lines-I have
noted that our writer's fail to men
ton anything about transmission
lines to rural communities from
steam plants in addition to rural
cities, and towns we have an in
creasing farm load-as follows -
l71561 farms purchased electricity
in 1923-576, 1853 farms in 1929 and
743,9 farms in 1884.
No matter where power plants
are located, whether steam or hydro
transmission losses enter the pic
ture and as the distance between
source and market increases-so the
losses increase. Our state engineer
once figured the cost at l mill per
K.W.-for each 100 miles.
Operates Longest Line
Two hundred to $50 miles has
been the limit set by nearly all
electrical engineers-as the limit of
economical transmission one eX-
ception has recently been made
the Boulder damLos Angeles line
the construction of that line is of
particular interest to all engineers
and its operation will be closely
watched.
The Southern Sierras Power COM
pany-operateS the longest line in
the world-the voltage used by that
company is much lower than that
used by other companies on con-
siderably shorter lines and is not
considered an economical line.
However, as long as we receive
one Eilowatt and pay for tWo-they
should worry, No, no, don't get me
Wrong"-the meter isn't read wrong
the company just starts two
kiloWatts out on its journey to you,
SO We have been constantly in
formed, and one of them just
yanishes into thin air-this is called
line loss and must be reckoned with
III the final cost to you.
Now paying for the losses on the
longest line in the World-When it
isn't necessary is just like going
out and breaking a ten dollar bill
into two fiveS-- then touching a
match to one of the bills and burn
ing it up. We are building the ALL
American canal and soon Uncle
Sam is going to say, pay for it. Now
just how shall we pay for that
canal?-With the remaining bill?-
or give that other bill to Uncle Sam
instead of burning it up?
In a public statement issued
August II, 1885, in the Imperial
Valley Press, the Southern Sierras
Power company calls attention to
the amount of money expended by
their investors in developing a great
electrical system to be dedicated to
the service of Imperial and Coach |
ella Valleys-etc., and deplores the
fact that we are asking the fed
eral government to assist us in
building a publicly owned system to
duplicate this pioneering system. |
Also they asK-what would their in
vestors have thought 20 years ago
il they had knoWn-What is hap !
pening today.
It is a splendid article-but may !
! ask what would thousands OF |
other investors have thought-20 !
years ago-if they had known what |
was going to happen in 1930-1931-I
etc? And what would the reaction /
have been among the very same in
Vestors mentioned by Mr.. West-had |
they known >.lat the market they |
had expected to develop in the
Nevada golC/.elds would "fizzle'
out on them almost as soon as they !
got started?
These investors did not build !
their power plants to do any
pioneering in Imperial or Coachella
Valleys the opportunity offered !
was like a life preserver-and they |
took the chance-even III the fac!
of the possibility of the building OF |
the All-Aemrican canal and its pow
er possibilities. The power COM
pany did net believe we would ever
build-but today - you know the
ansWer-the day of reckoning is fast |
approaching.
Then on top of this appeal to
public sentiment to save their in
vestors, the president of the COM
pany turns around just few days /
later and publicly announces that
his company has decided to invest
more money in our valley
What is the answer-and who is |
going to pay the bill?
We-citizens-must as whole,
learn to read between the lines.
The district board should be COM
plimented for its quick action in I,
safeguarding Our power interests
may the good work go on.
Sincerely yours,
(Signed) EARL V. c. NORTHROP.