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002SJ7 -10- "he Curecanti and participating projects is realized. This is more than the pre- s~nt farm expenditures of any county of the area, with the exception of Uesa Count, 7ar~ income in the entire area will increase ~13,581,OOO a year. Increased value of farm land, buildings, implements, machinery, .and live.- stock ~ith full development of the Gunnison River Projects will be ~17,257,OOQj . On the conservative estimate of a liD mill levy an additional ~31i5,000 per year will be gained in tax revenue. " There has been too much emphasis placed On normal flow in the discussion of water. j,linimum flow fii,'Ures must be used because agriculture and indus tr.f must live within minimum flows. In sinple words, if we do not get storage in \;estern Colorado veF'J soon, we will have lost surplus flows in April, Eay and June. If this happens, \,estern Colorado can never grow to any extent--ever. .,e will have lost the opportunity to let our children remain at home to earn their livelihoods, as their fathers were privileged to do. SECTION I, AFtTICLE C -- ",lectric Power Generation and Tra.'1smission Curecanti will provide a ~ch needed supply of electric energy for present and potential use on the '"estern Slope of Colorado. To indicate the present shortage of electric power, in 1950 the largest sup- plier of electric energy on the "estern Slope (The "estern Colorado Power Company) registered a demand of 19,3~O kilowatts, which was supplied by a series of gener- ating plants having a total installed capacity of only 18,732 kilowatts. Due to the present high cost of generation, it is estimated by a certain lormula of projection that if the Curecanti project were supplying the electric el1srgy of the municipalities, REA Coops and Power Company \"Iithin the immediate ar=a, the savings 'to these distributors by 1956 and in turn to the consumer would amaunt to ~1,957,526 annu2l1y. .. vie are all aware of the vast amounts of natural resources such as coal, metals, and timber, that an abundance of cheap, firm electric energy would aid in developing. For example, a 10,COO bbl. per day coal hydrogenation plant would require 68,000 kilowatts of electricity. It is not out of reason to suggest that from one to three such plants may be located in the basin if Curecanti power plant and interconnecting loop circuit transmission line were to be constructed. In order that the project can be classified as feasible and to aid in con- struction of Curecanti, electric energy must be generated and sold at a rate that would come within the upper basin project average and yet earn a surplus to retire the cost of the project, opel ate and maintain the entire project, and pay to the Upper Colorado hiver account three per cent 01 the cost of the generation facil- ities. Curecanti as now planned "ill meet this requirement. The TVA, Bonneville a~~ ~oover ~ams, are among the many public power pro- jects that are paying their ':.'ay f~r in excess of original expectations. Cure- canti should not prove the excepcion.