Evening star., 1939-12-06
Farley Studies
Power Boost
In ThisArea
Two-Yeor Capacity
For Peace Needs
Is Reported

- NePOTteO
Electric power capacity of all oper-
ating and projected utilities in tho
Washington Baltimore area is being
studied to make necessary changes
to increase capacity for wartime
emergency needs, the National Pow
er Policy Committee announced to-
day.
The capacity of plants in this area
is sufficient to meet peacetime de-
mands for the next two years, it was
reported by the committee after a
conference with private utilities rep
resentatives yesterday, but the ar
rangement now contemplated is de-
signed to handle the extra load in
prospect.
This includes, it was said infor-
mally, prospective increased power
output to the Glenn Martin airplane
manufacturing plants in Maryland,
which are operating on a 24-hour
basis in turning out Martin bomb
ers, and additional electricity for
night consumption in the Govern
ment Office buildings here. The war
emergency has brought about an in.
crease in night work.
The conference yesterday was the
first of series between the commits
tee and representatives of utilities,
principally east of the Mississippi
River in the course of the next two
weeks. Their object is to consider
certain aspects of electric power in
relation to peace time as we'll as
emergency industrial needs.
Statement Issued.
The utility representatives joined
in issuing statement today based
on the conclusions reached at this
conference. Today the Power Policy
Committee Is comforting with OFF,
cials of the Birmingham, Ala, area,
including the Commonwealth e.
Southern Corp, Aluminium Co. of
America, and Carolina Aluminium
Co.
With respect to the Washington
Baltimore area, a statement said:
This first conference of the series
having to do with the Nations
power needs in peace-time and in
relation to national defense require
ments has served to bring together
much information of value to the
Government and the industry.
1T has developed that in the
Washington-B Baltimore area, which
has been under discussion, the elec.
trio power capacity of the utilities,
either constructed or projected, ap.
pears to be sufficient to meet prob.
able peace-time demands for the
next two years. The public utilities
are studying and expect to make
changes in their steam-generating
stations that will increase their ca
pacities beyond that needed for such
peace-time demand.
Operations -ordinated.
Utilities of the Washington -Balti-
more area have thoroughly CO.
ordinated the operations of the two
large hydro-electric plants on the
Susquehanna River, namely the Safe
Harbor and HOLLYWOOD plants, with
the steam-electric stations in Balti-
more and Washington, so that unified
operation results in maximum econ
omy and effective use of the power
resources.
This unity of operation between
independent systems will prove OF
great help in meeting an emergency
situation should it arise
THE utilities in this area have also
made an exhaustive study of the de-
mands that might be created in an
emergency tending to increase the
present loads of important industrial
establishments"
Leland Olds, vice chairman Of the
National Power Policy Committee,
which is headed by Secretary of In
terror Ickes, presided at the con-
ference and the committee was rep.
resented by Benjamin v. Cohen.
general counsel; E. F. Scattergood,
special adviser, and Thomas R. Tate,
chief of the committees technical
staff.
The following utility representa-
tives attended the conference, which
was opened by Secretary Ickes:
A. G. Neal, acting president and
general manager for the Potomac
Electric Power Co., Washington; j.
H. Ferry, vice president and chief
engineer, and w. j. Lank, system
development engineer, both of the
Potomac Electric Power Co.; F. A.
Allner, vice president, and G. w.
Sno11l6ipp occieforf chiof oooiyaor
of the Pennsylvania Water g. Power
Co.; R. L. Thomas, executive engi-
neer, and r. T. Greer, director, in.
tersystem power utilization branch,
both of the Consolidated Gas &
Electric Co. of Baltimore.
Cooperation Plan Studied.
In related field, President Roose-
velt has disclosed that he is study
ing plan for joint Federal-private
construction and management of
connecting links between power
systems.
The Chief Executive told his press
conference yesterday such a plan
had worked well in England and was
being given some attention here.
He indicated the Government
might step in with a cooperative
suggestion If private companies
could not agree on proposals of
their own to join existing power
regions with transmission lines for
national defense-and otherwise ex-
pand to meet increased demands
for energy.
He said that In England private
companies serving different locan-
ties had q hard time avoiding q
fight over how these regions should
be linked with power lines and that
eventually the British government