Show Crews Complete Linkup In Two-State Two Power Pool i KANAB KANAB High above the red desert sands sands' of the Utah- Utah I Arizona border Utah Power Light Co linemen last week made a high voltage Interconnection Interconnection interconnection in In- that makes 40 million kilowatts available to area electricity users The thousand volt power power power po po- po- po artery which bisects Utah and links the Utah Power Power Power Po Po- and Arizona Public Service Service Service Ser Ser- vice Co systems makes possible possible pos pas sible Ible the integration of the giant power pools of the Northwest and Pacific Southwest Southwest Southwest South- South west into one mammoth po- po f grid extending from Mexico ada miles Into Can Can- I The high voltage link also provides for a tie into Glen Canyon Dam and permits power from this major Upper Colorado River Storage Pro- Pro I I 1 to be transmitted northward north north- 1 iward ward to federal preference customers in Utah With Glen Canyon generators turning the line ties together all the major power po power er p producers ers of 11 western states The power tie tic at the Utah- Utah Arizona border was the culmination cul cuI of a 12 million project that tools took four years to build and used over ovel 1400 miles of steel core al aluminum aluminum al- al conductor one one and three-tenths three inches in diame diame- ter With this connection Utah Power Light Co becomes the eastern hub of the largent largest regional power development program ever planned This the Western Energy and Supply Supply Supply Sup Sup- ply and Transmission Associates Asso elates WEST WEST'S purpose is to coordinate coordInate coordinate co co- ordinate i planning of 01 10 I billion worth of new construction construction con can by the major investor Investor Investor tor owned power producers in 11 western states I The advantages to such an I integration of power systems ore are re pointed up by the economic econ econ- economic savings to users and I producers and also in the de dependability dependability of power supply I de-I For example I ions like the Utah Arizona I link permit companies to exchange exchange exchange ex ex- change blocks of power so that participating systems can take turns building larger larg larg- er more efficient power generating gen gen- Cr orating tIng stations Moreover participating systems can exchange ex ex- exchange change power during season season- seasonal al nl peaks thereby cutting reserve reserve re re- re- re serve erve power needs of each system And most important Interconnections provide a power supply in the event of emergencies Ultimately the benefits of interconnections and I power pooling mean savings to power power po po- users because as d utilities cut costs they are passed on to the consumer mer j |