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Show I. . ijiSi'jj Gigantic New Power Plant In Prospect for Plateau Construction of a 10 million dollar power plant in Southwestern Colorado may be started soon, designed to utilize coal reserves In the San Juan Basin to operate steam turbines. The plant would have a capacity of 27,000 kwh. Four Rural Electrification Associations have banded together to construct the plant. They are the Delta-Montrose, San Miguel, Em- lre Electric, and the LaPlata lectric. Potential users will be in the Nucla, Naturita, Norwood and Uravan areas, according to word being passed around in REA circles. In these districts are the U.S.V,. and V.C.A. milts and the Red Rock mill which still is in the planning stage. Also classified as potential users are 13 lumber mills, 750 operating mines, as well as 1,700 individual REA users in the area. It has been estimated that the power output would cut costs 10 to 25 percent. The people of Cortex, Durango and Delta may also receive relief from their already overburdened electrical circuits, according to present plants. Power consumption by local purchasers In the entire district which may he served by the new utility has! Increased 31 percent since 1953. and over 3,000 percent since 1950 according to latest government figures. Construction was scheduled W start on February 1, and completion date is in November, 1956. It will be operated by a private company to be known as the Western Colorado Power Co., with headquarters at Montrose. To fuel the tur bines, the plant will use coal from the 160 billion tons of reserv estimated to lie under the San Juan Basin country. |