Minnesota Power Light Company Part of Huge Transmission System.
Announcement was made last week that the Minnesota Power Light company is one unit in a great superpower system, which will link up all power lines of importance in the eastern half of the United States. When these connections are complete, it will be possible for power generating stations in Minnesota to come to the aid of power generating stations on the Gulf of Mexico, and vice versa. Thus the surplus power generated in Minnesota when waters are high here can be used to come to the aid of sections of the country where there is a generating power shortage. Instead of a huge power trust, the plan is being worked out through arrangements between the large power companies, and physical connection between their systems.
Sidney Z. Mitchell, one of the best known and best informed men in the electrical world today, is the guiding spirit in the new superpower combination. Mr. Mitchell is a director of the Minnesota Power Light company, and is also president of the Electric Bond and Share company. The Minnesota Power Light company is controlled by the American Power Light company, and the operations of both companies are supervised, under the direction and control of the board of directors, by the Electric Bond Share company.
The new superpower plan is designed to eliminate power shortages, and to permit the distribution of power instantly to points where it is needed. It will permit the full use pf hydroelectric plants when there is water for their operation, and thus effect a saving.
While Minnesota will be connected with Georgia and other southern states through high power transmission lines, the power actually generated in Minnesota will not be transmitted to Georgia. The way in which Minnesota might help Georgia is that power generated here in the north would be transmitted into one end of the next adjoining system. This system would then have a surplus, and would pass on at the southern end of its system, the surplus to the next adjoining lines. This process of borrowing and passing on would be repeated in steps of about 250 miles each, to avoid the high transmission costs and power losses sustained through exceptionally long wire connections.
The Minnesota Power Light company has many stockholders in this district, who will be interested in this newest development of the modern power plants of the nation.
Grand Rapids Herald-Review, Grand Rapids, MN, April 14, 1926