Electric Utilities: Can They Meet Future Power Needs?

The electric industry is the largest single in dustry in the United States in terms of plant and equipment. Use of electric energy by residential, commercial and indus trial consumers has been increasing steadily over the years, and the industry has met this demand in an economic and reliable manner. Recently, the nation's concern for environ mental quality has affected adversely the ability of the electric industry to provide an abundant, low cost supply of elec tricity. Clean-burning fossil fuels for existing electric generat ing stations are becoming increasingly difficult, and more costly, to obtain. Construction of new facilities, particularly nuclear plants, is being blocked and delayed. Power com panies, now, are prudently urging the conservation of elec tricity, as well as developing emergency procedures to contain possible power shortages. In the meantime, a clearly defined national energy policy must be developed to guide and correlate the actions and objectives of single-interest groups and agencies toward a common goal of meeting the dual demands for environmental quality and an adequate, reliable supply of electricity. Short term and long term goals must be distinguished: (1) to head-off the pending elec trical shortage which appears imminent in some parts of the country during the latter part of the '70s; and (2) to insure the nation's ability to supply environmentally acceptable energy needs for the future.