Evening star., 1936-08-17
UTILITY FACILITIES
MORE FULLY USED
Many Firms May Reach Ca
pacity by Fall if Out
put Still Scars.
sptt,ai Dirpatch to The Star.

NEW YORK, August l7.-lncreas-
ing demand for electric power appar-
entity is forcing many utility operating
companies to make fuller use of their
available facilities than they have in
many years. 1t is being predicted that
by Fall, If the increase continues, many
operating companies may be using all
of their available capacity.
About SO per cent of total power
generated. according to the Edison
Electric Institute, is hydro power. Hy-
dro power plants under prevailing,
and expected, conditions OF demand
are, therefore, probably an indispen-
sible portion of total available capacity.
Should prevailing drought conditions
continue, it Is probable that the out
put of hydro power plants may decline
sharply, throwing the load to an in
creasing extent upon steam plants.
As over IL per cent of these steam
plants are 20 years old or more, eff
cheney, as compared with the gener-
ally newer hydro plants, is open to
question, according to the Federal
Power Commission survey of 1885.
The rising demand for power, coupled
with the apparent decline in the level
of many rivers serving hydroelectric
plants, is likely this Fall to force
operating costs of many utility operat-
ing companies higher in the face Of
rising sales of power.
Coal Outlook Affected.
This may result in a sharp increase
in consumption of coal this Fall and
also an increase OF rail coal traffic /;
an increased demand for new steam
plant electric equipment late this year
and in 1887 and utility plant modern
ization bringing good business to cleo
trical equipment makers early in 1887.
If. as some people believe, water
conditions are forcing the shutting
down of some hydro plants or cur
failing their production. curtailment of
available capacity may result. II
would therefore appear necessary to
use al available steam plants ire
Spective OF their state OF efficiency
Such development may mean that
any further increase of revenue de-
rived from the increased use OF power
between now and the year end will
be offset by higher costs due 10 the
high cost of coal in many sections
served largely by hydro plants and
the relative inefflciency of many OF
the existing standby" steam electric
plants.
It is interesting to note that the
larger hydro plants are In many cases
according to the 1885 Federal Power
Commission survey, located in terri
tories more or less remote from coal
fields. namely, Southern California.
portions Of the Middle West, and. to
some extent. North and South Caro-
lima and Georgia Companies GUS
tomarily using hydro power to a great
extent are particularly vulnerable to
the effects OF cost increases.
Limited to 20 Years.
The efficient economic life OF steam
power plant equipment is 20 years. OF
total steam power capacity Of l3.74S,-
600 kiloWatts, reported by 2l5 systems
at the end of 1894. 2.5oO. 900 kilowatts
of capacity we're at least 20 years old
or had a fuel consumption greater
than $4,000 B. t. u. per kilowatt hour.
In 1914 the average fuel consumption
per klloWatt hour was somewhat less
than 4 pounds. 1t is now about l
pound, and in some cases less in up
to-date steam plants. This would
indicate obSolescence of about II per
cent of the above total steam capacity.
The power zones in the severe
drought areas are, in the Southeast,
Kentucky. Tennessee. Georgia. Vlr-
ginia. North and South Carolina; in
the mountain and plain. North and
South Dakota. Nebraska. Kansas. COL
orado. and wyoming. and in the Mid
die West, Iowa. Missouri, and Mime
sofa. In these territories hydropower
is used to a great extent.
Reports indicate drop in produc-
ton of hydropower in June and July
Normally, this decline would take
place in September or October. The
drop is from two or three months
ahead this year due to the drought in
some parts of the country.
CCopyright. L93o.I