The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1951-01-04
Montana Power
Shows Growth
During Past Year

During Past Year
A further decrease in the
average cost per kiloWatt-hour
of residential electric service
and steady growth in the num-
Der of electric customers and
residential use of electricity
highlighted the year 1850 for
the Montana Power Co., accord
ing to a report by the company.
F. w. Bird, president and gen.
eral manager ofthe company.
announced that the average cost
of residential service dropped
slightly more than four per
cent during the year just end
ed, decreasing from 2.69 cents
per kiloWatt-hour to 2.58 cents.
This figure, he added, is 10.7
per cent below the national
average.
During the year, residential
electric customers of the Mon
tana Power Co. passed the 100,-
000-mark. The total at years
end was estimated at 101 ,348, an
increase of more than 1000
customers over 1949.
Total electric customers at
the end of 1850 stood at 49,
222, compared with 114,545 a
year ago. Increases were noted
in all classes Of customers, with
the company adding I'll indust-
rial customers during the year.
One of the remarkable gains
registered during the year was
in the annual residential use of
electricity. Rejecting a growing
emphasis on electricity'S- value
as a household item, the aver
age residential use for 1850 was
2,168 kiloWatt-hourS, compared
with 1880 kilowatt-hours at the
end of 1949.
Farm service continued on the
upgrade. During the year, the
Montana Power company's serv-
ice area saw 81 per cent of the
farms receiving electric service,
compared with IS per cent last
year. Throughout the nation,
according to government eSti-
mates, electric service is reach
ing 1868 per cent of the farms.
Net power generation by the
company'S plants during 1850
was estimated at more than 2.7
billion kilowatt-hours, an in
Grease of more than 281 million
kilowatt-hours over the total
last year.
Mr. Bird pointed out that
water conditions in 1850 were
as good as they were the pre-
ceding year, and he explained
that there was ample power at
all times to meet the growing
needs of Montana customers. In
addition, the company had con-
siderable amounts available to
send to adjacent areas.
Initiation of construction of
the 66,O00-kilowatt Frank Bird
steam-electric generating plant
at Billings was 1950's major
project. Foundations, boiler
structure, stack and auxiliary
buildings have been completed,
and the construction is proceed
ing on schedule so that the
plant will be in operation by
midsummer of 1851, augment
ing the power supply in Mon
tana.
Other. important construction
projects during the year were:
The Billings-Hardin SO, 000-volt
transmission line, which is ex-
pected to be completed shortly
after the first of the year; the
161/69 XIV ~substation near Dill
lon, which was completed to
supply power to the Dillon and
! Salmon, Ida, areas; the Gard
iner- Mammoth transmission line
7 which will enable the company
= to serve the National Park
Service in Yellowstone park, and
a seven-mile transmission line
built to supply the Victor Chem
ical Works phosphorus plant at
Silver Bow.
During 1850 the company also
increased the voltage on several
city distribution systems, in
Guiding Great Falls; started
construction of a new substa-
ton to serve the city of Helena
and constructed an important
substation at Butte to supply
the Anaconda Copper Mining
Co.'s Greater Butte mining pro-
ject. Other construction work
designed to improve system
service was carried on under the
company's continuing program.
Cooperating with Montana's
industrial development, tn e
company arranged during the
year to provide power to the
Victor Chemical Works and the
Harvey Machine Co. aluminium
operations from the time those
| plants start operating until the
time Hungry Horse power is
available. Under the arrange
ments, the company also will
cooperate in providing the DOW
er supply Of Victor after Hun
CRY Horse power Is available.