The Wilmington morning star., 1947-03-23

IlN1 al CACCtl l1lIdtlOL. w dI s GllC
gave new momentum to the cam
paign to electrify every farm. No
only are farm housewives cookine
with electricity. Their husbands
are installing electrically : driver
elevators to lift grain into storage
places, milking machines, home
welding shops. and other devices
which drain power.
Residential use in towns: The
public power system also main
tains attractive retail outlets fol
such electrical appliances as cleo
trio stoves, irons, deep freeze
units and lighting fixtures. The
average Nebraskan is using more
electricity at home.
Irrigation is a b%y-product of by
dro-electricpower which some
times seems to overshadow it
parents in benefits to the state
When the public power district:
were built, the principle was es
tablished that irrigation would b,
supported by revenue from sale O
power.
Here is the way it works: 1
hydro-electric dam is located OF
q river. The dam backs up water
which forms a lake. When water
pours through the turbines to pro
duce electricity or when more i
backed up than is needed for pow
er production. it is led into irri
cation canals.
In effect. the irrigating farme
pays nothing for his water h,
pays only the cost of getting j
tc his farm.
The Nebraska public power EN-
|pire is not a tight-knit affair.
Principal power producers ar
three "hydros' hydro-electri
districts making most of thei
electricity by use Of water-drive.
turbines is on-river dams. Thes
hydros r the Platte Valley Put
lie Power and Irrigation distrie
at Hastings, and the Loup Publ
Power district headquartered i
columbus.
In 1910. the hydros set up
%'little IVA" They pooled thei
transmission lines, power reserve
and revenue to create a stateWid
power producing system 0
grid Not a separate legal en-
tity but a practical partnershi
known as Nebraska public pow
er system" This grid or powe
POOL enables the hydros to shu.
power from one part of the stat
to another as needed.
Neither the three hyaros nor I'll
NPPS sells power at retail. Tha
is left to a statewide retailing OF
g%anization known as Consumer
Public Power district, which ha
its headquarters in Columbus.
When Nebraskans choose thei
congressman and state officers
they also ballot on directors TO
public power districts. The direc
torships have attracted some O
the most respected men in tn.
state. Pay is nominal.
The hydros and consumers dis
trict r the giants of public pow
er In Nebraska but their empire
ls not absolute. Many cities have
always had their own power sys
TENS, and a few others have take,
advantage of a state law which
permits a municipality to vote it
self out of the consumers system
In addition, there are 81 rura'
public power districts. Like many
cities which own their own distri
bution systems. most of the rura
districts buy their power from the
fydros.
The father of public power II
Nebraska was the late Senate,
George w. Norris of Nebraska
more famous elsewhere as the ia.
Their of the Tennessee Valley Au
thority.
1t was Norris who pushed 1egis
lation under which the fedora
government financed creation o
hydro electric districts in tn.
1905. Seventy per cent of thu
$40, 000, 900 advanced was in tn,
form of loans, the remaining 81
per cent outright grants durin.
the depression years when OF.
purpose was to create jobs.
Through the years o. expansio,
since then, the districts hav.
turned to Wall street for multi
million dollar loans.
With the hydro-electric districts
set up, the problem of finding ;
market arose. At that time pr
vate power companies held thu
market and refused to buy powe.
from the hydros.
Public power advocates thel
created consumers public powe
district, for the dual purpose o
retailing power created by the by
dros and acquiring private pcwe
companies to assure a market.
One by one, consumers too
over the private companies. Thes
acquisitions which did not 81
ouire a vote of the people in tn
area involved - were by negoti
alton, not by condemnation. Pun
chases were made or the basi
of earning power.
The huge bond issues necessar
for taking over private firms ar
being steadily retired despite Pre-
gressive rate reductions. Whe
consumers has paid off all il
bonds the plants will be turne
over to each municipality for on
sires.
Right now the public power pee
pie have their fingers crossed
demand threatens to outstrip pow
er production. Engineer and arch