Page 4 - SUSQUEHANNA TIMES
An Important Message
About Energy
From PP& L Chairman,
Jack K. Busby
After years of unheeded warnings, severe
shortages of natural gas finally occurred, pre-
cipitated by the prolonged winter cold. One
more signal that we have a serious long-term
energy supply problem in this country. It is now
beyond debate that when energy shortages hit,
our society is crippled. The harsh evidence of
lost employment and lost production is in-
disputable.
The winter weather conditions also created a
large number of operating difficulties for gener-
ating units. Even so, electric loads were general-
ly met, though capacity margins were tight. The
so-called excess generating capacity of some
utilities — criticized here and there a few months
ago — totally disappeared in the winter cold.
One bright spot was the good performance of
nuclear power plants, reflecting their freedom
from the limitations of conventional fuel supply
and delivery.
If it had not been for industrial plant shutdowns
because of natural gas curtailments, which re-
duced electrical loads that would otherwise
have been ‘on line, there would have been
critical shortages of electricity.
This is a reminder that the basic issue of build-
ing ahead to have adequate generating capacity
and fuel to meet tomorrow's electrical needs is
very much with us. Lead times for power plant
siting approvals and construction are lengthen-
ing. PP&L’s most recent look indicates that, as
things now are, we have to allow about 13 years
to bring a new coal-burning power plant on line
at a new site. The implications are scary. This
means that, apart from capacity now in service
plus capacity under construction, there is noth-
ing that can be done to add more coal/nuclear-
based power supply for 1984/1985. Indeed, we
are practically at 1990. Every day is increasing
the hazard of future shortages of electric power
supply. Yet action is inhibited and constricted
by a complex amalgam of uncertainties and
risks. The need for clarifying and supportive
governmental energy policies is overwhelming.
The adoption of effective new energy policies
depends on whether Americans have the will to
do what is required.
The geologic and economic realities under-
score the need for more investment for facilities,
fuel and advanced research, as well as more in-
vestment for conservation. It is going to be an
expensive process, with quick payoffs being un-
likely. For the time being at least, all signs point
to continuing higher prices for energy.
This is not the answer people are looking for.
It seems they would prefer to hear that higher
prices for energy are caused by some kind of
energy fraud or fix, or by the heedless actions
of uncaring managements, notions which carry
the comforting thought that if “the scoundrels”
can be identified and properly dealt with, con-
sumer energy problems will disappear. So, all
too often this is what people are told, frequently
coupled with a few rousing denunciations of
“obscene profits.” Although such talk has an
unmistakable popular appeal, it is pernicious
nonsense. It obscures reality and promotes cop-
out attitudes. It discourages new investment and
frustrates the development and implementation
of the basic long-term energy decisions that are
necessary.
We want our investors and customers to know
that while we think it is misleading to give people
false hope that some way can be found to pro-
tect them from the reality of higher costs of en-
ergy, we recognize that it is our job in PP&L to
run a taut ship and to exert every effort to hold
down costs and to improve our performance.
We appreciate that we are living in an ever-
changing world where new opportunities for
THIS ADVERTISEMENT IS NOT CHARGED TO PP&L CUSTOMERS. PPal
Reprinted from PP&L’s 1976 Annual Report.
stand that it is our responsibility to seek them
out and put them to good use.
We realize that we cannot see ourselves as
others see us. Therefore, we believe in the con-
cept of outside audits to monitor management
effectiveness and operating efficiency. While
no one is perfect, and no one likes to be criti-
cized, our aim is to have a constructive attitude
about the outside audit process in. which we
welcome suggestions and advice on where and
how we can do better.
We also want our investors and customers to
know that outside forces, over which we have
little or no control, are the main causes for the
higher costs and prices of energy. For example,
we do not have control over the fact that the ex-
ploration and development of energy resources
in more remote and more difficult locations, and
at greater depths, is bound to be more costly.
We do not consider that we are responsible for
the national policies and decisions that have
caused inflation with all its consequent cost in-
creases. Nor did we establish the host of new
and costly environmental standards that now
have to be met, with inevitable reflections in
higher prices for electric service. Our ability to
get things done promptly and at low cost has not
been helped by the endless stream of new gov-
ernmental requirements which have proliferated
reports, hearings, investigations and all kinds of
technical studies.
The saving grace in this outside-imposed cost
situation is that it does not arise from any inten-
tion to increase costs. On the contrary, the diffi-
culty rather stems from an excess zeal to do
good things for people without sufficiently con-
sidering the cost consequences beforehand.
This is really a problem of inadequate systems
management.
Over time, energy has become afflicted by too
many laws, regulations and programs which have
different purposes and priorities, and which are
nonconnected and unrelated even though they
exist side by side. We have now come to the
point where we are bogged down in an unac-
ceptable mishmash of crosscurrents and con-
flicts. Some government management house-
cleaning is in order.
It is most encouraging that President Carter
has proposed to establish a comprehensive, re-
structured federal energy department headed
by Dr. James Schlesinger. We urge investors
and customers of PP&L to support action to this
end. We take this position because we are con-
vinced that a central obstacle to the nation’s
working its way out of the energy crunch is the
present fragmentation of energy jurisdictions
within federal departments and agencies and
within the Congressional committee structure.
The proposed federal energy department could
be a most significant first step towards establish-
ing an adequate management system for en-
ergy. Other counterpart housecleaning steps in-
volving the Congress and federal-state relation-
ships in energy could then be pursued with some
reasonable chance of success.
Without further delay we must face the fact
that our patchwork quilt of piecemeal energy
management is not working. Certainly we need
natural gas, but natural gas cannot meet all our
energy’ needs. The same is true for our other
major! fuel sources — oil and coal and uranium.
All form intermeshed parts of the nation’s overall
energy supply. The unavailability of any one is
disruptive of the whole. That wasn't always so,
but it is now. The management of energy as a
total system is the only safe escape route that
still remains open to us.
March 9, 1977
OBITUARIES
David J. Geib
David J. Geib, 66, of 841
Church Street, Mount Joy,
died Sunday morning at
home after a six-month
illness. He was the hus-
band of Margaret S. Klugh
Geib.
Born in Mount Joy
Township, he was the son
of Mrs. Mabel Ebersole
Geib, Mount Joy, and the
late Henry Isaac S. Geib.
A lifetime resident of
Mount Joy, he was employ-
ed by Aircraft Marine Pro-
ducts Inc., Mount Joy,
working for the last 15
years at the Landisville
plant. He retired in 1975
after 25 years of service.
He was a member of
Glossbrenner United Meth-
odist Church, Mount Joy.
In addition to his widow
and mother, he is survived
by a son, David Franklin
Geib, at home; a daughter,
S. Ruth, wife of Barry
McKain, Mount Joy; a
brother,Ralph Geib, Mount
Joy; and three sisters:
Edith, wife of Karl Haines,
Mount Joy; Goldie, wife of
Elmer Esbenshade, Eliza-
bethtown; and Mabel, wife
of Ellsworth Reinere,
Mount Joy R2.
J. Herbert Tyndall
J. Herbert Tyndall, retir-
ed staff manager for Pru-
dential Insurance Co., died
Sunday at 3:20 a.m., at St.
Joseph Hospital after an
extended illness.
Tyndall was 73 and lived
at 31 West Main Street,
Mount Joy. He was the
husband of Lillian Felker
Tyndall.
He retired in 1963 after
being affiliated with the
Prudential Insurance Co.
for 27 years.
Tyndall was a former
Donegal District School
director; a member of St.
Mark’s United Methodist
Church, Mount Joy, and
Casiphia Lodge S51, Free
and Accepted Masons,
Mount Joy.
He was a native and life-
long resident of Mount Joy,
except for the period from
1938 to 1949 when he lived
in Lancaster. He was born
in Mount Joy, a son of the
late William and Elizabeth
Jones Tyndall.
In addition to his widow,
he is survived by a son,
William F. Tyndall, Lan-
caster; two grandsons, and
one brother, W. LeRoy
Tyndall, Mount Joy.
Mrs. Fanny H. Hershey
Mrs. Fannie H. Hershey,
85, of Lehman’s Nursing
Home, Rheems, formerly of
Elizabethtown, died at Lan-
caster General Hospital at
3 p.m., Monday after a
lengthy illness.
She was a member of
West Green Tree Church of
the Brethren, Mount Joy
R2.
Born in Dauphin County,
she was a daughter of the
late Jacob and Mary Herr
Saylor.
Surviving are her hus-
band, John M. Hershey,
also a guest of Lehman’s
Nursing Home; one son,
Ralph Hershey, York; a
grandchild and three great-
grandchildren, and three
sisters: Mabel E., wife of
Elam R. Ebersole, Mrs.
Rachael Nissley, and Kath-
ryn Saylor, all of Eliza-
bethtown.
Mrs. Russell Miller
Mrs. Russell Miller, R.D.
#2, Lionsville, died Thurs-
day afternoon at West
Chester Hospital.
She was the daughter of
Mrs. Henry Frazer, former-
ly of Marietta and the late
Henry Frazer.
She is survived by a son,
George Henry, at home;
two grandchildren, and a
brother, Andrew Frazer,
South Carolina.
UTC names Bailey
John P. Bailey, 27 Hill-
side Drive, Carlisle, has
recently been named ser-
vice consultant for the
United Telephone Company
of PA’s Columbia district.
In his new position he is
responsible for servicing
major accounts including
sales of all special business
services and equipment
within the area.
Bailey joined the tele-
phone company in 1974 as
a commercial representa-
tive and was appointed
data processing scheduler
in 1975 in Carlisle. In 1976
he was transferred to
Chambersburg and served
as a lineman, the position
he held until his recent
promotion. ~.
Bailey, a Carlisle native
and graduate of Carlisle
High School, attended
West Chester College
where he earned a degree
in Political science.
He is married to the
former Donna J. Wolfinger.