The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1953-12-11
Corettes Generating Corporation"
BODIES NO GOOD FOR NoRrHwEsT's FUTURE

bUUES NJ UUUU run NUN nMESES rUEUnE
Corette, young, able ambitious Montana
Power Company has with proposal which it should
become reality would for all practical sound the death
Corette at the ae Columbia power policy group meet
Seattle this week announced that six Northwest private
utilities plan to form generating corporation to develop
in cooperation with the federal government most of the
million kowatts of power is estimated the Northwest
will need by 1878 To get this partnership between the fed
era government and local rolling the six utilities
plan ask Federal Power Commission preliminary per-
nit for their first hydroeectric plant before January
By forming such generating corporation Corette sad the
private the full responsibility of local
power development given them by the Eisenhower Admnstra
ton.
stated further according to news reports that the COM
pane expect the federal government costs connect
ed with irrigation flood navigation while
panies would the full of phase of each
What the significance of the outlined by
at the Seattle meeting and what does the future hold in store
for other of Columbia river should the FPC give
the program of the private utilities the go ahead?
For past there has been growing reazation
that water of most precious Our nation
VIII stand or ranguate depending on how wisely we exploit
this the fullest efficient degree Accord
ng and emphasis placed upon
peuse development OF this resource Mupurpose develop
ment wherever it has been of Welrounded program
has made possible the generation Of huge supplies of low
cost electrical energy increased the firm output of down
stream DAMS aided flood control by flow regulation
made financially possible the irrigation countless thousands
OF dry acres among It's major benefits to the nation Profits
from the sale of owcost power by helping to the freight
for installations brought the cost of irrigation down
to level OF financial feasibility Lowcos public power has
made possible industrial development hitherto undreamed of
in the Northwest and other parts of the nation Lowco pub
lie has made possible to elecry IS per
all rural homes in Montana as of the end of 1852
picture 7
accrued from mupurpose development of
the past 20 years !
What bearing then would the private utility plan outlined
by Coree have further development of the Northwest?
Please note the utilities would gladly pay he full of
power phase of each project while expecting the federal
eminent to costs with irrigation flood
troll and navigation Translated this that if there
be flood CONTROL irrigation storage navigation etc. Uncle Sam
(you and will have bear the full financial load for these
phases Of development To have effective
store Irrigation water sufficient quantities for import
ant project multmiion dollar dams will have be
ed The cost of the phase of developments would
be less than ten of the overall of the
yet that would be the only profit producing part develop
men 1t is little wonder the utilities would be happy
"full cost of the power phase!" fl
AS example, consider the proposed Paradise multi
pose DAM which, recall correctly would cost in the neigh
borhOod of 1925 million In addition being important
in downstream flood control and providing irrigation u
storage Paradise would produce million
For about ten million dollars the power trust would
get million kwor-for the extremely low price So
owatt of juice By of contrast Idaho Power Com y
pany three proposed owhead dams the Snake would
produce $4,000 XIV of power at cost Of $3942 owa
The proposed Hels Canyon would produce
XIV at a cost of $1,000 per XIV year. q
BUTthe above is not the complete import of the Corette
proposal Because of fast tax writeos the private power
companies wouldn't be permanently out the abovemen
per Through amortization per-