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Show kilowatts, while private utility development in- creased to 8,468,840 kilowatts. By January 1, 1950, public systems, both Federal and non-Fed- eral, had developed a total of 7,319,502 kilowatts, as compared with a private utility total of 9,334,- 669 kilowatts. Data on subsequent additions to public power development during the first half of 1950 show an increase of 288,715 kilowatts with an additional 5,243,575 kilowatts under con- struction. Private capacity had meanwhile in- creased to 9,566,873 kilowatts, with approxi- mately 354,000 kilowatts under construction. When this new Federal and local public ca- pacity under construction has been completed, public development of water power will have reached a total of 12,851,812 kilowatts. Further authorized Federal projects will ultimately add another 12,651,570 kilowatts, bringing the total to about 25.5 million kilowatts. These changing trends reflect the increasing responsibility of the Federal Government for as- suring the fullest ultimate development of the country's water power resources. As already indicated, this will mean simply that the Federal Government is playing its part in meeting the country's growing needs, which will also require more than 3 kilowatts of additional steam gen- erating capacity for every kilowatt of hydro. Clearly all power agencies-Federal, local, pub- lic, and private-must establish a sound basis of cooperation which will serve the fundamental purposes of electric power supply. Privately owned electric utilities will be ex- pected to play a major role in the future. As already no>ted, privately owned utility generating capacity today totals 53.5 million kilowatts as compared with 13.5 million kilowatts of publicly owned capacity. On the assumption that addi- tional steam generating capacity will be largely private, with hydroelectric development predom- inantly a public responsibility, the country's power supply in 1970 would be furnished by about 122 million kilowatts of private and 38 million of public capacity. This proportion might be altered by rapid growth of power con- sumption In regions like the Pacific Northwest, where water power is the main energy resource. The Long-Range View The hydroelectric projects under construction or authorized will provide only about one-fourth of the additional electric generating capacity needed by 1970. This means that at present ratios of steam to hydroelectric power, at least 5 million kilowatts of hydroelectric power, over and above present authorizations, should be pro- vided. Fortunately, there are large additional reserves of undeveloped water power which can be utilized to meet requirements in 1970 and beyond. The Federal Power Commission has estimated the total potential hydroelectric power of the United States at 105 million kilowatts capable of producing an average of nearly 500 billion kilo- watt hours a year. To date we have developed about 17.5 million kilowatts, producing 90 billion kilowatt-hours in the average year. The 18 mil- lion additional kilowatts under construction, or authorized, will raise the total to some 35.5 mil- lion kilowatts, capable of generating about 175 billion kilowatt-hours a year. This leaves an undeveloped hydroelectric power reserve of about 70 million kilowatts, with annual output of 307 billion kilowatt-hours, to meet the country's requirements after presently authorized projects have been completed. But if anything like this ultimate total is to be realized it must be developed as one element in compre- hensive river basin programs. The Federal Power Commission's estimates of the country's potential hydroelectric power by broad drainage regions are arrayed in table 7, with the accompanying map outlining the several drainages. This table shows totals for existing plants of 2,500 kilowatts capacity. Cooperative Utility Responsibility It is clear that we must continue to use a com- bined public-private power supply if we are to make the best use of the Nation's resources to meet future power needs. This calls for a na- tional policy under which the Federal Govern- ment, State, and local public power systems, rural 240 |
