A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE VILLAGE OF LITTLE VALLEY MUNICIPAL ELECTRIC LIGHT DEPARTMENT

     In July of 1976, the Village of Little Valley will celebrate one hundred years of incorporation.  One of the most beneficial things that happened during that one hundred years was the establishing of a municipal lighting plant.  This is now one of the oldest municipal plants in the State.
     On October 14, 1895, a special meeting of the Village Trustees with the Board of Water Commissioners called for a special election to vote on a proposition to raise $7,000.00 for the construction of an electric lighting system.  The election was held in the same month on the 26th in the Hose House and resulted in the passage of the proposition by a vote of 97 for and 46 against.  
     On November22, 1895, the Trustees authorized the Water Commissioners to erect poles and string wire along the village streets.  A site was purchased near the Erie Railroad tracks on Sixth Street and a brick building was erected to house the power plant.  
​     The first little steam generating plant put out the first electric current in Little Valley to sixteen customers on February 15, 1896, operating from dusk until midnight and during the winter months from five o'clock in the morning until daylight.  There were no meters in those days and charges were rendered on the number of lamps installed on the customers premises.  
     Customers were slow in taking to electric lighting and for many years the infant company could hardly make ends meet even at the rate of 30¢ per bulb a month.
     Bulbs in those days were either eight or sixteen candle-power.  It was said that "you had to light a match to find the electric light."  When one hundred watt lamps came onto the market, they cost $1.00 each and filaments were so fragile that the least jar would break them.  
     Street lights in those days were the carbon arc lamps and required the services of a lamp lighter who had to lower the lamp and adjust the carbon to make an arc.  Street lights were not used on moon lit nights and a study of the early village records indicate that the cost of street lighting each year approximated the deficit of the light department.  
     About 1900, the first meters were introduced, being ampere hour meters instead of kilowatt hour meters now in use.  The first rate was 6-1/2¢ per ampere hour and at one time there was a rate of 15¢ per kilowatt hour which may be compared with the present average rate of $1.57 per kwh.  
     Rate reductions were not possible until electric appliances came into fairly extensive use around 1917 and a demand arose for electric current in the daytime.  The plant commenced operating two days a week, later purchasing the daytime needs from the Cattaraugus Cutlery Company who had their own generating facilities.  In 1921 twenty-four hour service was inaugurated. 
     A number of customers were lost to the plant in 1912 when natural gas was piped into the village and many wished to use gas for lighting as well as heating.  These customers eventually returned to the municipal lighting service.  
     The original steam unit was used for seven years until 1903 when the plant was enlarged and another steam generating unit was added.  In 1908 the original engine and generator gave way to a larger installation.  A gas engine replaced the largest steam unit in 1917 which was used until 1924 when a contract was made with the Niagara, Lockport & Ontario Power Company (now Niagara Mohawk) for the purchase of all power requirements.  Three phase power was made available at this time and production costs were greatly reduced and the local generating plant was abandoned.  
     In 1940, the 600 KVA substation was moved from Sixth Street, the site of the old generating plant, to Third Street and increased to 1,200 KVA.  In 1952, these transformers were junked and a new 1,500 KVA placed in service.  In 1966, two used 1,500 KVA transformers were purchased from the Village of Arcade giving a total capacity of 4,500 KVA at the present time.
     Costs to consumers went down as loads increased.  The load in 1904 was measured at 33 KVA while the present peak load is over 2,800 KVA. 
     At present the plant has over 900 customers; over 30 miles of rural line; an average yearly residential consumption of 6,937 kwh per customer at an average cost of $1.57 per kwh.
    In 1974, it was necessary to increase rates due to rising costs but we are still 50-60% lower than our competitors, the IOUs.
    Over the years we have been most fortunate to have village officials who favored municipal ownership and we have nothing but praise for those "old times" whose foresight saw the many advantages of public power. 
                                                                                                                                                                               Author - A. H. Andrew