Tribune
Medford
United Press full Leased Wir
United Press Full Leased Wire
SECTION TWO
MEDFORD, OREGON, FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 1955
Pages 1-10
Northwest Utilities Agencies Looking
To Steam, Atomic Power tor Future Use
Editor's note: This is the last of thr-e
articles describing the requirements
for new electric power generation in
the Pacific Northwest and what the
region utilities have planned to meet
these needs. '
By HENRY G. CURTIS
United Press Correspondent
Seattle PJ.Rj The Pacific
Northwest's utilities agencies
are looking to steam generation
and even atomic power for fu
ture electricity in the face of
"obstacles" to hydroelectric de
velopment. The Washington State Power
Commission expects to produce
1,200,000 kilowatts of electricity
in steam plants by 1964. Sig
nificant power for atomic re
actors apparently is for the
more-distant future of the reg
ion, but a serious s tu d y of
atomic possibilities is underway.
In most cases, hydroelectric
power is cheaper than steam
power and far less expensive
than atomic power now possi
ble. But power dams take from
three to eight years for con
struction: and not nearly enough
hydro projects are being started
to provide sufficient power for
the immediate future.
Factors in the way of dam
construction include fisheries
problems, objections to reservoir
flooding, the question of com
pensation for sites. These ob
stacles to hydro development
Ere serious enough to turn the
hopes of the region's power en
ergies to steam generation for
power.
The Washington Power Com
mission did not get from the
1955 Legislature the $275,000 it
requested for initial work on
steam power plants. But the
agency plans to carry on its
work with operating funds and
through issuance of revenue
bonds.
The commission's "most con
servative" estimate is that 1,
200,000 kilowatts of steam pow
er will be needed by 1064. This
power would be augmented by
seme secondary hydro power
which would be too unreliable
to be sold without being firmed
up by the steam.
"Design of steam plants
should be undertaken at once,"
says a report by J. Frank Ward,
managing director of the State
Power Commission. The planned
program is for a start of con
struction on two steam power
units in 1956, and these would
be producing power in 1958. By
1964, eight units would be com
pleted, turning out the required
1,200,000 kilowatts.
The steam units would be
built by the power commission.
Their output would be sold to
and distributed by the North
west's utilities.
Plans call for steam plants
which could burn coal, oil or
gas, whichever would be most
available at any time. Washing
ton's coal industry looks to the
power plants as a market for
the product of its mines.
Experimental atomic plants
are being developed in the East
and the Washington Power Com
mission follows c 1 o se 1 y any
atomic developments in the gen
eration of power. Ward says,
however, that atomic power
probably will not replace con
ventional power in the foresee
able future,
Power producers and scien
tists estimate the cost of an
atomic reactor at twice that of
conventional boilers for the
same power output. Operating
cqsts, too, would be higher for
the atomic reactors, which
would produce power at a cost
of $5.60 per kilowatt per year.
A steam plant can do the same
job for $3.60.
More A-Power in Future
Atomic power costs can be ex
pected to decrease as technology
improves, and atomic reactors
for production of electricity
will become common in later
years.
Speakers at the American
Power conference at Chicago
this spring estimated that only
two per cent of the new power
plants built by 1960 will be
atomic, but by 1970 the atomic
reactors will account for 14 per
cent of the annual increase in
power production. And, said the
speakers, 65 per cent of the
power plants built in the year
1980 should be nuclear.
The Pacific Northwest prob
ably will need its share of these
atomic power plants. If the area
grows in population and indus
try as expected, the Northwest
will need power from wherever
it can be obtained.
STOLE WRONG CAR
Denver (U.R) One - armed
Kenneth M. Townsend, 43, re
leased from jail where he was
held on a drunk charge, was re
arrested after he stole a police
patrol car and drove it 87 miles
with siren blowing and red
lights flashing.
MARKING OF A MAJOR MILESTONE!
llpilii
Jlttiie
4, iss5.
jrtv.wwAv.'. .
A summary for our 58,620 customers
served through 10 divisions in 68 communities in five states
FORTUNATE to be located in the rapidly growing
West, California-Pacific Utilities Company has
reached the quarter-century mark and confidently
looks forward to an even greater expansion of its
customer roster and utility services. Essentially, its
story has been and will continue to be the story of
the oncoming West With the utmost faith in the
future of its territory and in its own capacity to meet
the demands of that growth, California-Pacific Util
ities Company pledges anew low-cost, efficient oper
ation in delivering even better gas, electric, water,
and telephone service to thousands of homes and
hundreds of business enterprises and industries.
1 PRESIDENT
EASTERN
OREGON DIVISION
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WESTERN STATES
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Sj nzona I New!
NUMBER AND LOCATION OF THE COMMUNITIES SERVED IN 195
California 22; Idaho V, Nevada 9; Oregon 35; Wyoming 1 TOTAL 68
NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS: Gas 15,813; Etoctrk 29,166f Water 4.961; Tlephon 8,680 TOTAL 58,620
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