GENERATION OF ELECTRICITY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3015, 25 March 1926, Page 4

GENERATION OF ELECTRICITY.

The low efficiency of small generating stations was emphasised by Mr. Stanley Baldwin, in announcing the Governments plans for the coordination of electricity supply in Britain. A committee was appointed to act with the Minister of Transport and the Electricity Commissioners in examining the present position. “They reported to us,” said Mr. Baldwin, “that there were 584 public utility generating stations in Great Britain —and that number is now increased —most of them all very small. Last year, forty-two of those stations were responsible for more than half of the total output, and the remaining 542 dealt with less than half of the output between them. Thus, while some of our stations are the finest in the world, we have an abnormal number of small stations producing at an unnecessary high cost. There is a startling difference in the cost of generation between a large efficient station and a small local concern. In 1923, the working cost per unit, exclusive of capital charges, varied in those different stations from .44d., to 10d., and lid., and the amount of coal,used to generate one unit varied from I.Blb to 101 b and over.” The proposals inculde the reduction of the generating stations to sixty, and the constitution of a central board to purchase "lectricity from them and sell it to local distributors, the whole scheme of generation and distribution to be based on a system of limitation of profits.