River-Basin Planning for Private Development

Annual capital expenditures for water-oriented facilities in the United States are estimated to total $12 billion by 1975, with private investment sponsoring $3 billion. Hydroelectric power is the only purpose of river-basin planning with substantial potential for private utility interests. Private and public interests agree that river basins should be comprehensively studied and that water should be efficiently allocated and used. Potential conflicts in public versus private development derive from differences in detailed economic criteria for planning and from an increased emphasis on water quality, recreation, fish and wildlife, and other conservation and aesthetic factors, which affect publicly-sponsored construction and private projects requiring government license. The investor-owned utility should develop a policy and strategy for protecting its long-term interests. An intimate knowledge of its service area, obtained through physical and economic surveys and analyses, is necessary for formulation of broad policy. Technological improvements in the manufacture, conversion, and transmission of electric power are closely related to the planning of water-resource developments by the private sector.