The Case for a Central Power Plant in Kennewick
A Seattle engineer argues that consolidating regional power generation in Kennewick could slash electricity rates.
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J. D. Ross, superintendent of the Seattle municipal lighting system, testified before the public service commission in North Yakima that the twenty-five or thirty towns served by the Pacific Power & Light Co. could be supplied with electricity from a single large central plant in Kennewick for less than they currently pay. Ross proposed replacing the company's existing hydro-electric infrastructure with an oil-burning plant located in Kennewick due to its central position between North Yakima and Walla Walla. He estimated the change would result in a 15 percent annual savings to consumers, challenging the company's valuation of their own water rights.
“All of the 25 or 30 towns on the lines of the Pacific Power & Light Co. can be supplied with electricity from one large central generating plant located at Kennewick, at a less rate than they are now paying.”
The struggle over utility ownership and the push for cheaper, publicly-accessible energy is a foundational debate in the Pacific Northwest, echoing today's ongoing discussions about public utility districts and regional infrastructure control.
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