The Monte Vista Journal

FOR THE SAN LUIS VALLEY

Announcement of plans for a hydro-electric project to furnish electric light and power to all parts of the San Luis valley not already supplied with electricity is made through the filing with the state public utilities commission of an application by Clyde B. Spangler and H. L. Thompson, both of Denver, for a certificate of public convenience and necessity permitting the construction of such a system.

As outlined in the application, plans of the promoters contemplate the building of a generating plant of from 1,000 to 2,000 horsepower capacity at one of three sites on the Rio Grande river and its tributaries between Del Norte and Creede, a central distributing station at Del Norte and the construction of some 200 miles of high voltage line along the Rio Grande river between Creede and Monte Vista and north and south from the vicinity of Monte Vista to Center, Saguache, Hooper, Mosca, La Jara, Sanford, Romeo, Manassa, Antonito and Conejos.

No estimate of the cost of the system is outlined in the application filed with the commission.

The applicants declare they will not attempt to go into the towns already served by an electric utility, although they hope to be able to furnish current at sufficiently low cost to render it economical for some of the present utilities to purchase all or portion of their current wholesale.

Center, Hooper, Mosca, Sanford, Romeo, Manassa and a number of smaller places in the valley, it is pointed out, now have no electric current in the agricultural districts outside the towns, for lighting, power and heating purposes.

The electric utilities now operating in the San Luis valley are the Colorado Power Company, at Alamosa and Monte Vista; the Conejos Co-operative & Supply company, at Antonito and Conejos; the La Jara Electric & Creamery company at La Jara; the San Luis Power company, at San Luis; W.J. Werner, at Saguache, and municipal systems at Del Norte and Creede.