The Mail-Journal, Volume 6, Number 52, Milford, Kosciusko County, 28 January 1970 — Page 18

Power keeps the wheels turning

NIPSCo. forcusts continued growth through the 1970 s

Continued growth of Northern Indiana Public Service Company and its service area during the decade of the "70's" was forecast today by Dean H. Mitchell, NIPSCo chairman and chief executive officer. "Completion of the interstate highway System, introduction of jetport facilities, access to international waterways through the Port of Indiana, and universal acceptance of the modem mobile home are among major factors in northern Indiana which will enable the NIPSCo family of the future to live in a much different manner than they have known in the past and at a much more rapid pace,” Mitchell said. "Changes in the 70’s will also witness further realization of our great industrial grow th potential, as both the expansion of existing industries and more widely diversified new industries move into our service area. "Surveys indicate that the new plant surge will affect not only northwest Indiana, but spill over into other counties as space for this type of building in Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties becomes harder to find,” Mitchell reported. “Such stepped-up activity will accelerate population growth as people move where jobs are available. It has been estimated that by the end of the decade, three quarters of a million more people will be living in northern Indiana and all residents will have increased disposable income. "The impact on housing and the major appliance market will be dramatic — resulting in a continuing upward trend in the use of our two vital services — gas and electricity,” the utility chief executive reported. "To meet this challenge, we invested more than S6O million in new and modern facilities throughout our service area in 1969 and have budgeted additional similar investments for the years 1970 and 1971," the chief executive said. "In the Gary area, work on our new 115,000 kilowatt generating unit at our lakefront station moved forward on schedule. When completed in June, 1970, this unit will provide additional capacity and greater flexibility in meeting the electric needs of customers." He pointed out that both this unit and the utility's 520.000 kilowatt plant at Michigan City will have "the most modem, efficient air and water pollution control equipment available as part of its basic design.” Michell stressed the fact that the ew unit will produce 250 per ce... more electricity than the three units presently at the Michigan City site while using only 10 per cent more cooling water and no additional lakefront property or land fill. Mitchell also reported work was completed during 1969 on a new system of air quality control for the existing units at the Gary Station which brought precipitator efficiency to 98 per

cent, well within the standards set by the new Gary ordinance. This project, costing more than $4 million was completed six months earlier than anticipated because of the importance placed on air quality control by NIPSCo and a set of circumstances that allowed the manufacturer to make early deliveries of the "hardware.” "While the latter has not been the case with all of our generating stations, due to dis-

4 ■ a j . i.i It Vl|T < jz SMk i ■ J SyijMk r iihha J* ** wBI Hr ’ fl ■ iiZ -1 <K| Surlll 1 1 " 9 MF -* **’ ■*- MJF' x * kflflMS^^* Jfa tj n’ TF.- . '' & *lO * ■ * i/. . ■«« ■. ” -v.. Here come the Seventies! The Sixties was some decade —ten years of excitement, progress and growth! Northern Indiana continued to evolve as one of the major economic centers in the nation, and NIPSCO invested hundreds of millions of dollars to keep up with our service area’s advancement. But the Seventies, we hope, will be even better for the people we serve in northern Indiana. This is why we re planning to invest additional millions of dollars to expand and modernize our plants and facilities. We want to meet the challenge of the “Surging Seventies” in northern'lndiana and assure all our customers a dependable supply of natural gas and electric energy “to enjoy exciting todays and build better tomorrows.” @Nort,hernlndiana Public Service Compa n» •MTOT to o<w oociww totforo ontf Sum Star tomorrotrt an equal oppoßTUNrn' emflotee

ferent sizes and specifications involved, the emphasis placed by NIPSCo on the very best environmental control equipment will continue into the 1970’s and beyond,” Mitchell emphasized. M. J. Pryor, Goshen division manager, reported that the Wawasee Consolidated high school and year 'round dwellings surrounding Papakeechie Lake ranked among the top nonindustrial service projects in the Syracuse, Wawasee, Milford,

Cromwell and Ligonier areas in 1969. Our lines for gas and electric service were also extended to the 18 unit condominium on the south shore of Wawasee and the Pine Terrace Apartments during the year," Pryor noted. “Industrial activity was at a high level during 1969 with new plants in operation for Vega Homes, Cambridge Homes, and B L of Indiana. Numerous expansions were also observed during the year including Chore-

Time and Brock Manufacturing in Milford and Weatherhead. Liberty Homes, Sea Nymph and Regent Homes in the Syracuse area. “In 1970 we will be extending service to the new West Noble high school south of Ligonier and the Wawasee Heights Subdivision —a development of 40 homes which is now about half completed — along with the new plant now under construction of Riblet Incorporated," Pryor concluded.