The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1957-04-19
PROPOSAL FOR OPERATION
OP MUNICIPAL POWER IN
4 MANTEO GETS SEVERE JOLT
Evidence Developed at Utilities Hearing Pre-
supposes Capital Requirements Of $4,000
or More; Only Source Of Energy to Make II
Here, in Costly Diesel Driven Plant.

The proposal to put the town of
Manteo into the electric power
business got severe jolt in Man
teo Friday as testimony developed
in a hearing neld in the Dare
County courthouse regarding the
proposed trangfer to the Virginia
Electric & Power Company of the
system operated on Roanoke Island
and serving some 1913 customers,
240 of whom live in the town of
Manteo.
Statements made at this meet
ing PLACED the cost of putting the
town in business at $4,000 for a
transmission system and $1S5, 200
or more for adequate generating
equipment. Ray Goodmon, Vice
President of the Virginia Electric
& Power Company, which seeks q
franchise in Manteo, said he felt
definitely sure that his company
would not sell current to the town
of Manteo, the only possible
source of supply other than to gen.
crate it locally.
1t had been the hope of the al
dermen proposing a town system
that they could buy current from
VEPC0 at about one cent per xii.
owatt hour. The cost of general
ing it would De IN excess of three
cents per XVIII. 1t would require
a plant operating "a hours a day
and three shifts of engineers, in
addition to outside employees to
maintain service.
However, plans continue to have
the people vote on TIE issue on May
7th, and one alderman is firm in
his opinion that the town can make
a profit of $4,000 q year il it
sells the curren1 used in town, now
retailing gross at about $4,000
annually. This alderman said he
also believed the power company
could be forced to sell current to
the town.
At Fridays hearing, the power
company was represented by T.
Justin Moore of Richmond, and
Roanoke Utilities by Thos. Chears
of Manteo. Sitting in for the town
aldermen was Wallace R. Gray Of
Manteo.
The testimony brought out YVES
along the line offered by Mr.. Moore
in his opening statement, which
ran like this:
"This matter is before you today
on the joint application of Roa-
noke Utilities Company, Inc. (Roa-
noke 'Utiiities) ard Virginia Elec-
trio and Power Company (vepco),
and is filed under North Carolina
law and requests that approval be
granted for Vepco TO acquire the
physical properties of Roanoke
Utilities. Before granting this au-
thority this Commission must find
that the proposed sale is in the
public interest. We believe that
the evidence to be given today viii;
prove beyond any doub. that it
would be in the best interest of thu
citizens of Manteo and Roanoke
Island for Vepco to take over this
operation. There are a number of
reasons why this, is so.
II. Vepco win give lower cleo
trio rates to practically everyone
on Roanoke Island. We expect the
evidence to show that the CONNER
cial customers will receive a de-
crease of from $26 to $3.50 pc,
year. The residential customers, al
most without exception, will re-
ceive a cut of from $50 to SLIGO
a year, with the normal residential
customer getting about $12 de-
crease a year. With the Commits
sion's consent, we expect to intro
duce sample bills, picked at ran
dom, to show the actual decrease
these customers would receive I'M
der Vepco rates.
eve expect the evidence will
show these rate reductions are pos
sible because of Vepco's uniform
rates throughout North Carolina.
To the citizens of Manteo and Roa-
noke Island this means that they
are charged no more for electric
service than are the citizens Of
Norfolk, Roanoke Rapids, William
4 ston, or any other more densely
populated area in Vepco's system.
"2. Better service. Vepco will
provide substantially better serv-
ice to the people of Manteo and
Roanoke Island because it will pro-
coed Immediately to bring the ex-
listing system up to Vepco's stand
ards. In addition, the evidence will
/ show that Vepco is just completing
a new high power transmission line
at Mays Head which. can tie into
Roanoke Island service and provide
annie power for any future needs
of the residents of Roanoke Island.
another way in which service
will be improved is that Vepco is
willing to install, at its own ex-
See POWER, Page Two