The superpower system — I

The paper deals with the essential elements of the superpower plan and discusses the effect of a cheaper and more adequate power supply upon the industrial activity of the United States. The economies effected by the electric utility systems of the country in the past are brought out, while the need for greater coordination between the electric utilities through some such agency as superpower systems is emphasized. The present power production facilities within the superpower zone form an important element of the proposed superpower system. The plan does not call for the complete scrapping of existing electric utility plants or transmissions, but uses these to a very large extent as the nucleus of the system. The effect of amortizing less efficient steam-electric plants is to materially increase the resulting economy of the balance of existing plants, which, with proposed new water power developments, are used to carry the peak load impressed upon the system, permitting the base load steam-electric plants to operate at very high capacity factors with resulting low production costs. The location of base load steam-electric plants in the bituminous coal-mining region is found to be uneconomical at the present time, but the location of large stations in the anthracite region is found to yield very attractive returns. The use of process fuel is not recommended under present conditions, but provision is made in the station designs for the use of such fuel at a later date should it prove profitable. The Superpower Report sets forth principles rather than a detailed analysis of a particular situation and this report must be followed by detailed studies of different sections of the country, taking into consideration the local conditions which must be provided for.