Evening star., 1940-06-26
Pepco Doubles
Size Of Plant
-.-..
Being Built
$4,000, 900 Project
Expected to Meet
Any Defense Needs

The Potomac Electric Power Co.
announced today 1t is doubling the
capacity of the 50000- -kilowatt gen.
Grating unit now under construction
at Buzzard Point ito be absolutely
certain that the National Capital
will be adequately supplied with
power in any emergency that may
arise In the movement for national
defense preparedness"
The unit is scheduled to be placed
in operation in October, and the
second unit should be completed by
February, 1912. The generators and
the buildings which will house them
will represent total outlay of more
than $4,000, 900, according to A. G.
Neal, president of the utility.
The local program to meet possible
extra power demands is part of a
800 900 900 construction and installa-
ton plan announced by the North
American Co. for the large Industrial
centers of Cleveland, Milwaukee and
st. Louis.
New Equipment Ordered.
The whole plan was outlined by e.
L. Shea, president of the North
American Co., in a letter to Gano
Dunn and Leland Olds, appointed
last week as subcommittee on
electric power problems to assist
the National Defense Advisory Com
mittee.
Discussing the local program, Mr..
Neal said: I'VE now have ample
facilities well in excess of maximum
demands so far made upon us In
the Washington area, and the ad-
ditional generating unit now near
ing completion will take care of the
estimated normal growth and main
tain an adequate power reserve. At
the same time, we want to be abso-
lutely certain that the National Cap
ital will be adequately supplied with
power in any emergency that may
arise in the movement for national
defense preparedness. We are,
therefore, Immediately placing or
ders for additional generating equip
ment to be installed in the Blizzard
Point plant"
The new machinery ordered in
cludes turbine generator, boilers,
pumps and condensing equipment.
The present installed generating ca
pacity of the Pepco is 255,000 kilo-
watts at the Buzzard Point and
Benning plants.
Will Use Resources Fully.
l,ic IA4 -
committee of the National Defense
Commission Mr. Shea said:
The North American Co. and its
operating companies expect to meet
with their own resources all of the
obligations arising out of any ma
tional defense problems 80 This
will require as never before the use
of all resources of capital and man
power of utility holding company
system such as that of the North
American Co. Fortunately we have
these resources at our command. We
will use them fully in the defense
program"
Pointing out that in the last two
years alone. while preparedness
plans were under discussion, 189,-
500 kilowatts of electric generating
capacity have been added by the
North American system. Mr.. Shea
said that since the outbreak of Eu-
opean hostilities last September I'VE
have been even more determined to
see to it that our program is geared
to abnormal demands and unfore-
seen emergencies"
In recent weeks, he said, the sys-
TENS operating executives have held
a series of meetings to formulate
and carry out plans for serving the
public interest and creating and
maintaining reserves of power ade-
quate in any emergency"
Huge Reserve Planned.
"As long ago as last January" Mr..
Shea said, I'VE announced a SOL
100000 construction program which
included provision for further in
crease of 270000 kilowatts generat-
ing capacity. This has been increased
again so that on top of a present in
stalled capacity 1914 per cent in
excess of any demands so far made
upon 1t there will be provided an
additional capacity of 100000 kilo-
watts which will require total ex-
penditures of approximately $780,
100000, including the cost of all util-
ity facilities.
Besides being prepared to meet
all emergency power demands in
the communities we serve we are
working on a system wide program