University of Virginia Library

Stinking VEPCO

It seems that every time that we have a
heat wave nowadays that the local power
monopoly screams crisis and pleads that all of
their customers bear the heat with stoic
composure, i.e. without the cooling of air
conditioners. Last week all us around the
University sweltered in the September heat
and humidity, unable to find any relief other
than swilling down cold brew.

The Virginia Electric Power Company or
VEPCO declared a "Brown Out" or a call for
restrained use of power so that their powerful
generators would not be overloaded. The
situation became so critical that the company
felt the necessity to lower power output by
more than five per cent. Hopefully, the cool
fall breezes will soon bring relief, but the
problem of inadequate power service will still
be with us winter wanes.

Power companies all along the East Coast
have been faced with the same dilemmas that
have faced VEPCO and have reacted to them
similarly. These monopolies are now raising
their rates nationally to "provide better
service" to their customers through the
construction of huge new power plants
capable of operating at full strength during
even the hottest summer days. It all seems
very convincing, but we, along with many
United States Congressmen, believe that the
matter deserves closer scrutiny.

Con Edison, which provides electrical
power for New York, fell under the attacks of
Jerome Kretchmer, head of the city's
Environmental Services Administration, for
using the periods of crisis to "scare" the
public into backing Con Ed's goal of Building
a new plant in Queens, a plant which would
almost double the air pollution in that area,
according to the Mayor's office.

VEPCO claims that the raising of electrical
rates in Virginia, West Virginia, and portions
of North Carolina is needed to generate
capital for the construction of sufficient
power sources and to aid the company in
procuring direct sources that previously were
purchased from other private interests.

We think that the arguments presented by
VEPCO, a company which, of course, faces
no competition, should be reviewed closely
by those in the state government. They may
be sound, but if there is any weakness in
them, the state has a distinct obligation the
protect the consumer, especially in the case
of a monopoly.

The need for a solution to the power
shortage problem becomes more immediate
each summer. Certainly, the crises of this past
summer have shown us that they have reached
a critical level. The power companies should
proceed as soon as possible in constructing
new power plants, but the interests of
powerless consumers should be strongly
protected by the government.