Letter from H. T. Coffey (Las Vegas) to Walter R. Bracken, January 3, 1925

Las Vegas. Jan 3rd, 1925. . Mr. W. R. Bracken. Regarding power for the proposed Demonstration Farm at Las Vegas. While from our rough field calculations made yesterday there appears to be ample water to install a water wheel at the lowest point on the farm to supply hydro power, we would advise against it. The cost of a set up of this nature put in such a manner as to insure you of continuity of service would run approximately $25,000.00. Even with this plant, you would have but an isolated system, that would call for its own operation and mainataince costs. Also if at time in the future you wished to make use of part of the water on the higher level to bring some of that land in under cultivation, you could only do so at the risk of endangering the operation of the plant by a reduced supply of water. We would recommend as the most logical scheme to install additional equipment in the Las Vegas Power Plant. For an expenditure of about $ 40,000.00, we could put in one more boiler and another generating unit. This would be most beneficial in many ways. We would keep the operation of the Plant at one point instead of having two plants and by building a transmission line to the Farm could furnish all of the current needed. At present we are about at the limit of our boiler capacity, and it would appear as if it would only be a year or so before we would have to ask for an additional one. The large power we are now-operating all have two blower lines, and our steam demands are slowly increasing, so that one more boiler will be needed soon irregardless of the Farm load. Another boiler would put us in very good shape to handle not only our own increased load but this proposed Farm load as well. Pg. # 2. Another and most important point of increasing our steam and electrical generating units at this point is in connection with our contract with the Consolidated Power Co. We have now with these people a contract bringing us in a gross of about $ 30,000.00 per year that contains a very nice profit to us. In the event in the next few years of the Boulder Canyon dam going in, this town is going to enjoy quite a boom, with an extensive building programme. With our present installation we would not be in a position to supply all of the current demanded, and we understand that this Power company is already making tentative plans for a gas engine plant of their own, in the event of the dam going through, to handle such part of the load that we cannot supply, and eventually to produce all of their own current. The contract now in existance is a good one all around. It relieves them of all operating troubles and brings us in a nice revenue, and we believe that if this scheme of the Farm wwnt through, and we could assure the Power Co that we would be in a position to handle even a large increase of their load, that they would very likely drop their idea of starting a separate plant. All of the above points I am merely bringing out for your consideration, but they will well merit the attention, I am sure, of the Management when considering the matter as a whole. H.T.Coffey.