Public Power After War
Pope, James P.
Public Power After War By James P. Pope Director, Tennessee Valley Authority P*/HAT ts go'** t0 be done after the war talk all the electric pouer that has been de: eloped and vied WW for war...
...As is well know*, th* per meter residential consumption in this area averages about 1650 kwh per year, as compared to th* national average of about 1076 kwh...
...If two million house* might to be built a year (as the experts say), if 500 millions dollsrs annually ought to be spent to correct deficiencies in ssnitstion facilities snd for new hospitals and heslth centers (ss the Surgeon Genersl ssys), if an immense amount of work ought to he done in rehabilitsting our forests (ss a sperisl committee of the Depsrtment of Agriculture says), if a large program of soil snd wster conservation is needed, and if many other things ought to be done to improve living stsndsrds and give employment to sll who need it, the opportunities will be there, but they are not likely to be grssped...
...It should Ml be forgotten, however, that saturation it a long way *#•./* the Tennessee Valley, 45 per cent of the homes •J aei yet wired and 75 per cent of the farms are not *** *l*ctr,fifd...
...If th* demand is less than the capacity of the system* involved, then only the most economical plants in th* system need be operated...
...In 1940 it generated over 4 billion kilowatt-hours, and in 194.'l a little more than 9 billion kilowatt-hours...
...The new government voted unanimously that King George must remain abroad until a fro* election decides whether or net the people want th* monarchy or a republic...
...When demobilization day comes, will half «1 the public power plants of the country have tc be shut down...
...Under such pooling contracts, these benefit* are equitably shared by all th* parties to th* arrangement...
...Not only did th* number of consumers increas* rapidly, but th* amount of consumption per meter almost doubled...
...th* Social Democrat Papandreon, continues hi* effort* to scalers * coalition government of all anti-fascist...
...A.,reeent Fortune poll Indicates that a very substantial majority of all parties and groups think that way...
...Will such pools, which in effect increase the supply of electricity, add to the burden of whatever surpluses there may be after the war...
...It is almost equal to the whole capacity of TVA...
...Knoxville is typical •* the other cities apd towns In the region...
...The benefits arc large—they run into hundreds of thousands of dollars a year...
...f there is widespread unemployment after this war, **ttera was after the first World War, then of course J*** will not be a market for all the electric power...
...It is to ^hoped, however, that there will be no such depression time...
...The total increase in power fwaeration in th« United States—both public and private—is 52 per cent since 1940...
...During the seven years of operation before 1940 thor* was a remarkable increase in *l*ctrie consumption ia the Valley...
...Both private industry and the Government *** Waking some nlans and doing some things to prevent it...
...The answer is no—such pooling arrangements will be helpful whatever may he the demand for power...
...The demand for electricity, however, is a very solid and persistent one, and gradually it will reach the capacity of these plants...
...Something less—and perhaps much less —will be done here, depending upon the attitude of Congress and of the President...
...By fajblie power is meant Federal, state, and municipal power, which has increased about 1.14 per eost while private power generation has increased about 42 per cent...
...It is likely that hoth private industry and government will do more toward providing employment than was done after the first World War...
...It depends upon whether, after deferred needs for foods are supplied, there is employment and purchasing power and a fairly high standard of living...
...They promote economy, save money and materials for war, and make service to consumers more reliable...
...Chare',ill's attachment to "th* monarchical principle" v. ill hardly be enough t* place George hack on the throne of Greece...
...It depends upon whether or not the national income remains up...
...eWatand for electricity is like that for food or clothing ** Skuas, Tb« effective demand depends upon whether ¦wpU are able to buy...
...The Tennessee Valley Authority hss connections with all the major neighboring utility systems...
...Because of low rates, REA jlpS, and improved general conditions, the number of Joined farms in the Tennessee Vslley hss increased . ™4** less than 3 per cent to more than 25 per cent •#*•* 1938...
...It depends upon Whether the tens of millions of houses needed •*» built, whether the public improvements Bo*dod are constructed, whether the immense amount of conservation work in the forests and on the farms is done, whether the sanitary facilities needed are installed, whether the polluted streams are cleared, and whether the WuBdod health 'and educational facilities are ptOTided, » • • I a* these *nd other things are planned and don* after th* war, not only would all the electricity that is now u*f»f Died for war purposes be needed, but much more...
...TV A has more than doubled its capacity, its sales, and its income...
...Private industry is doing some planning and it is accumulating some reserves for this purpose, and government is doing a good deal of planning at sll the levels^ Pedeial, state and municipal to solve the problem...
...that is, th* rapid development of interconnections and th* increased interchange of power between and among systems...
...There are possibilities of railway electrification, of new peacetime industries in the Valley, and of greatly increased use in heating and cooling of houses...
...During 194* it was reported that power pools throughout the country contributed th* equivalent of 1,600,000 kilowatts of generating capacity to meet wartime needs...
...Will half of the installed water power have to go to waste ? Itus largely depends, I think, upon whether the industrial plant of the country can be kept running at or near capacity, and whether there is practically full employment of labor...
...The TV A situation seems to be shout like this: Some of the munitions industries in the Valley may be partly operated for a time and others msy be converted into the making of peacetime goods...
...Public Power After War By James P. Pope Director, Tennessee Valley Authority P*/HAT ts go'** t0 be done after the war talk all the electric pouer that has been de: eloped and vied WW for war purposes...
...There will be much b*w elechrkal equipment purchased for the homes and th* farms...
...The fact ifl that public power generation has more than doubled during that time...
...This is nearly 3Vs per cent of the total electric generating capacity of the country...
...will be surpluses everywhere, with a lot of people J***** and needing it but unable to buy it...
...A good deal of progress has been made since the first World War in our thinking on these matters...
...Thus far, th* Communist EAM hss failed to collaborate...
...As a general observation, I would say that W* may expect an increas* in the use ef electricity after the war net unlike that which took viae* before the war...
...The King played a iole daring the Met a i as fascist dictatorship from ' -16 to 1940 similsr to th* ro!e ef Victor Emmanuel a dot Mussolini, snd I* loved by the people ae more 1 sn th* Italian* lov* Emmanuel or Umberto...
...A.SSUMING thst our national policies should not accomplish full employment, there may be considerable unused capacity of the public power plants of th* country for several years...
...Full employment is now generally recognized as a major goal of our economic system...
...War necessities have given a tremendous impetus to the "pooling" of power...
...The consumption of electricity in the four ****** of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee h>frincreased at the same time from less than 3 billion «»«>watt-hours to over 7% billion a year...
...It is not likely, however, that the full job will be done—that the goal of full employment will be maintained in peacetime in this country...
...Most people agree that the country cannot depend entirely upon private industry to furnish full employment, and that the Government must help...
...And these will be new uevie** *nd processes that may become common, There saeuht b** considerable increase in consumption by civilians who now have electricity, a* well as further continuous extension of service is hem— and o* farms...
...TlIERE is one other wartime development that will have significance in th* days to com...
...06 bke other necessities and comforts of life...
...In addition, there are promising possibilities of a much wider use of electricity in new wsys— at least in wsys thst are not common in this area...
...There is certsinly plenty to do to keep practically everybody employed, but the steps necessary to achieve that result will not likely be taken, in my opinion...
...This question is being asked from one end of the country to the other by people who know of the enormous increases in power capacity that have taken place wince the fall of France ia 1940...
...There are several big power pools in the country today...
...Almost nothing was done to meet such a situation after the first World War...
...And now about 75 per cent of its total power distribution ia being used for war purposes...
...In the City •f Inoxviiie, the Use has increased from 73 million ¦** ia 1933 to 286 million in 1943...
...In the light of this experience TVA does not expect to have a surplus very long after the war and does expect that the demand will eventually esse.eed the «*-pacify of the system...
...Several additional cities in Tennessee and Kentucky have moved toward obtaining power from TVA after the war, and there ate some rural lines ready to be built as soon as the war is over...
...There ia no doubt but that this cooperative effort, which make* for efficiency, economy, snd better service, Is here to stay and will plsy sn increasingly importsnt psrt in the future development of the public and prirst* power industry, ¦ topondroou Strive* far Qrook Unify Th* new Premier of Grec...
...In 1940 its gross income from power was over 15 million dollars and in 1943 over 31 million dollars...
...It has found them to be very beneficial to all parties concerned...
Vol. 27 • June 1944 • No. 25
