CARRYING WATER THROUGH A DESERT 



595 



SPiyKNDiD possibii.itie;s ^or e:i.j:ctricaiv 



dEve:i.opme:nt 



The total output of electric energy, in 

 a report made March 4, 1910, by three 

 of the foremost electrical engineers in the 

 United States, is placed at 120,000 horse- 

 power peak load. Of this amount, 80,000 

 horse-power can be developed within 50 

 miles of Los Angeles. April 19, 1910, 

 a bond issue of $3,500,000 was voted by 

 a large majority for the purpose of par- 

 tially developing this large source of in- 

 come, estimated at 49,000 horse-power. 

 The hydro-electric plants are to be con- 

 structed and ready for operation at the 

 same time that the aqueduct is opened 

 to the flow of the Owens River. 



The present consumption of power for 

 all purposes in the entire county of Los 

 Angeles is estimated as not exceeding 

 80,000 horse-power, of which 55,000 

 horse-power is consumed within Los 

 Angeles city. It will require a long series 

 of years to find a market for such a large 

 amount of power as the city has at its 

 back, and this is recognized by the de- 

 velopment of only a fraction of the pos- 

 sible output just at this time. 



Mr E. F. Scattergood, the aqueduct's 

 chief electrical engineer, prepared esti- 

 mates in 1906 for the development of 

 37,000 horse-power at a total cost of 

 $4,490,000, the power to be delivered at 

 the city's gates. With the sale of power 

 figured at the low wholesale rate of eight- 

 tenths cents per kilowatt hour, on a 50 

 per cent load basis, and accounting for 

 all costs of operation, maintenance, in- 

 terest on bonds, sinking fund, and depre- 

 ciation of plant, he placed the net annual 

 revenue at $1,406,000. 



Mr Mulholland, in a public utterance 

 on this subject, said: "I believe that the 

 people have in the possible power de- 

 velopment from the aqueduct an invest- 

 ment which 20 years hence will turn back 

 into the city treasury the entire $24,500,- 

 000 provided for the construction of the 

 aqueduct, with interest." His declaration 

 is borne out by the hydraulic and elec- 

 trical engineers who have been called 

 upon to examine the plans and estimates. 



Naturally a part of the surplus power 

 will be taken through the growth of 



ionoLak^^ 



.LONGVALLEY ^ 



BifePineoV^ 



USES WNTAKE 



|\independence 



Little Lake 



C:>}lndian Wells 

 ^/rreeman 



FERNANDO^ 

 RESEIRVOIRS"' 



,<*#^rinto Sta. ^ 

 ^roMojave ^ 



FAIRMONT I . 



^RESERVOIR- Lancaster 

 * Elizabeth La.ke 

 fFUTUREL POWER HOl/SEL 



PASABtNA 

 LOS^NGELES 



