Canadian Hydro-Electric Power Develpment During 1930

Abstract

THE remarkable progress which, during recent years, has characterised the development of natural sources of water power in Canada for the generation of electricity and other industrial uses continues at an unrelaxed pace, and the two annual reports 1 recently issued by the Canadian Government contain a record of activities during 1930 which is quite up to the standard of preceding years. The present rate of development in round figures is 400,000 additional horse power a year, and as the aggregate has grown from 3¼ million horse power in January 1924 to a little more than 6 million horse power in January 1931, it is obvious that, roughly, the rate has now been maintained for a period of seven years. Taking the comparative value of coal fuel for power generating purposes at 5½ tons per annum per horse power (the most recent estimate), it can be inferred that Canada is progressively supplementing her extremely meagre resources in mineral fuel by the equivalent of a supply of about 2¼ million tons of coal per annum. Moreover, as compared with coal, water power energy has the advantage of perpetuity, for, once installed, the turbines may continue to function for an indefinite period, in contradistinction to the inevitable, though gradual, exhaustion of fuel used in thermal stations.