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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Power Market Survey - Colorado River Storage Project <br /> <br />SECTION II <br />:PAST AND ESTIMATED FUTURE POWER REQUIREl'ENTS <br /> <br />Introduction <br /> <br />This section presents a review and analysis of the past electric <br />power requirements of the region and develops estimates of future require- <br />ments to the year 1980. The various classifications of electric use are <br />discussed and methods used in arriving at future requ:l,rements are described. <br />The estimates for the future which are presented are based upon such factors <br />as continued high employment, a reasonably high level of income, the future <br />development and utilization of natural resources in the area, and an antic- <br />ipated expansion of manufacturing to meet the needs of the growing local <br />and national markets. <br /> <br />.A - Past Load Trends and Power Requirements <br /> <br />Historical Trends of <br />Power Requirements <br />Electric power use is recognized as an excellent indicator of the <br />current trend of the nation's economy. This is also true of the power <br />market region since the power requirements of the region have general~ <br />reflected the prevailing business and economic conditions. <br /> <br />The past power requirements of utility systems by subareas, areas, <br />and for the region as a whole are shown in Table 5 for 1938 and for each <br />five-year period 1940 through 1955. Infonnation on industrial plant gen- <br />eration is shown for most areas for 1945, 1950, and 1955. The data on <br />industrial electric generation for own use when combined with industrial <br />electric energy purchases from utility systems are accurate indications <br />of the industrial activity during these years. <br /> <br />The total energy requirements (utility and industrial generation) <br />of the region increased from 6.2 billion kilowatt-hours in 1945 to 16.1 <br />billion kilowatt-hours in 1955, an average annual increase of 10.1 per- <br />cent. An analysis of the past power requirements of the regional sub- <br />divisions however shows a wide difference in the rates of growth as <br />indicated by the following tabulation: <br /> <br />- 21 - <br /> <br />