Mr. ANDREWS. Let me ask you again, How much did you say heating and air conditioning of the proposed Madison Memorial Library Building would add to the operating load of the Capital Power Plant percentagewise? Was it 40 percent? Mr. RUBEL. Yes, sir; 40-percent increase in the refrigeration load. The additional steam load for heating can be supplied by the existing steam-generating equipment. In modern office buildings, the high-intensity artificial illumination provides most of the heat for comfort conditions. Mr. ANDREWS. It is hard to believe that one building would add 40 percent. Mr. RUBEL. The proposed building has 1,700,000 square feet of floorspace in it. It has floorspace that can accommodate 5,000 persons. The Rayburn Building has less than 1 million square feet of usable floorspace and has added a refrigeration load of 3,000 tons, or about 29 percent of the load existing prior to the advent of that building. Mr. ANDREWS. Your plant now provides air conditioning and heat to how many buildings?" Mr. RUBEL. All of the legislative buildings on Capitol Hill and the Supreme Court Building. A total of nine buildings. Mr. ANDREWS. And you say this Madison Memorial Library Building will add 40 percent to the refrigeration load? Mr. RUBEL. Yes, sir. Mr. ANDREWS. I do not understand it. You have the Capitol Building Mr. RUBEL. It is large in physical dimensions but the air-conditioning load is only about 1,500 tons, relatively small compared to 5,300 tons required by the Madison Memorial Library Building. It has been roughly estimated that the usable floor space in the Capitol is 465,000 square feet. Mr. ANDREWS. On page 118 in the first paragraph under the increase for the purchase of electrical energy, you make reference to a saving of $23,525 in 1967. What do you mean by that or how did you figure it? Mr. HENLOCK. That, Mr. Chairman, was where Mr. Rubel estimated $1,355,000 and the actual cost came to $1,331,475. As he indicates, each year there may be a slight fluctuation. INCREASE FOR STOKER REHABILITATION Mr. ANDREWS. You are asking for $10,000 for stoker rehabilitation. Explain that item. Mr. HENLOCK. That is on page 121 of the justification. Mr. RUBEL. Two or three years ago the Congress authorized the replacement of the spreader stoker in each of the three steam generators at the Capitol Power Plant. Each of these generators has a steamgenerating capacity of 110,000 pounds per hour. At that time the stokers were 12 years old and there was evidence all three should be replaced, but we decided it could be done under a 3-year program, replacing one stoker each year. We have replaced two stokers at a cost somewhat less than originally contemplated. Do you have that figure? Mr. HENLOCK. Originally, we told you it would cost in the neighborhood of $140,000, however, by Mr. Rubel working out an agreement 92-655-6S- -21 whereby we have purchased the required replacement parts ourselves and installed them with our own Power Plant personnel, under the supervision of a representative of the manufacturer of the stokers, instead of doing all the work by contract, we were able to reduce the total replacement cost, thereby effecting a $35,000 saving on the whole program. Mr. ANDREWS. The committee will adjourn until tomorrow at 10 o'clock. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 1968. Mr. ANDREWs. The committee will come to order. EXPANSION OF FACILITIES, CAPITOL POWER PLANT STATUS OF UNFUNDED CONTRACT AUTHORIZATION (IN THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS) On page 97 of the committee print there appears a nonrecurring item of $250,000 from last year's bill for continuing the program of expanding the Capitol Power Plant facilities. I believe $135,000 of that was subsequently, in the supplemental bill in December, transferred for emergency repair work on the west-central part of the Capitel. That would have left you $115,000; is that correct? Mr. HENLOCK. Yes, sir. AUTHORIZED BUT UNFUNDED EXPANSION WORK Mr. ANDREWS. Looking at the bottom of the page, at the schedule of status of unfunded contract authorization, it is indicated that at the beginning of the coming fiscal year there will be an unfunded balance of $635,000. What does that mean or what does it represent? Mr. HENLOCK. When the project was authorized by Public Law 85-895 on September 2, 1958, the authorized limit of cost for the project was fixed at $6.5 million, and that is what we expect the total work to cost. You have funded, to date, $5,865,000, so all that the $635,000 item represents is the balance that has not been appropriated under the Authorization Act and which we believe will be eventaully required to complete the program. Mr. ANDREWS. Basically what is the work we are talking about? Mr. HENLOCK. Expansion of facilities at the Capitol Power Plant and its steam and refrigeration distribution systems, required by the expansion of buildings and structures and other additions on the Hill since 1958 and additional services required to serve them at the power plant. Mr. ANDREWS. What particular work at the Power Plant? Mr. ANDREWS. Tell us briefly and expand on it in the record. Mr. RUBEL. Generally, it included the procurement and installation of four refrigeration machines, associated pumping equipment, and cooling towers; the procurement and installation of four oil-fired boilers and associated fuel oil pumping and storage facilities; a new coal-handling installation with its associated coal car trackage; and numerous secondary items of work. Mr. ANDREWS. Just general renovation and overhauling of the plant? Mr. RUBEL. Installation of additional facilities, primarily attributable to the new demands for refrigeration and steam needed for cooling and heating the buildings on Capitol Hill, and for heating the Botanic Garden, Government Printing Office, and city post office. Mr. ANDREWS. And the whole thing will cost how much? Mr. RUBEL. It will eventually cost $6.5 million. Mr. ANDREWS. And how much are you requesting be funded in the 1969 bill? Mr. HENLOCK. Nothing. Mr. ANDREWS. There would be an unfunded balance of $635,000? Mr. RUBEL. Yes, sir. Mr. ANDREWS. You are not ready for that? Mr. HENLOCK. No, sir; we do not have to ask for that appropriation this year. We probably will have to ask for it in the fiscal year 1970. (Statement furnished for the record :) Public Law 85-895, 85th Congress, approved September 2, 1958, authorized and directed the Architect of the Capitol, under the direction of the House Office Building Commission, to effect changes, improvements, and expansion in the facilities of the Capitol Power Plant and its steam and chilled-water distribusion systems, necessary to provide steam and chilled water for the Rayburn House Office Building and for other improvements and projects then underway or proposed, and authorized the appropriation of a total amount of $6,500,000 for such purpose. Mr. YATES. The next item is for the Capitol Power Plant operation on page 95 of the committee print, and page 116 and following of the justifications. You are asking for $2,927,000, which is an increase, after cranking in the pending wage board supplemental of $20,000, of $65,400, is that correct? Mr. HENLOCK. Yes sir. Mr. YATES. Insert pages 116 through 122. (The pages follow:) 1968 appropriation in annual act_. Wage board pay supplemental___ Total appropriations, 1968. DEDUCTIONS $2,841,600 20.000 2, 861.600 Stoker rehabilitation-2d year allotment under 3-year program for replacement of spreader stokers in three coal-fired steam generators Base for 1969___ ADDITIONS -50,000 2,811,600 Wage-rate increases authorized by Public Law 763, 83d Congress___ Under the provisions of Public Law 763, 83d Congress, 88 laborers and mechanics on the Capitol Power Plant roll are compensated on a wage-board, prevailing-rate basis. Public Law 763 provides that the compensation of such employees shall be fixed and adjusted from time to time as nearly as is consistent with the public interest in accordance with prevailing rates. An increase of $10,800 is requested for 1969 to meet on a fullyear basis the cost of increased wage rates established for these wage-board positions as a result of a general survey of Government and industrial employees' wages in the Washington metropolitan area, conducted during the past year. The new rates went into effect Oct. 22, 1967, in accordance with the provisions of Public Law 85-872, 85th Congress. The increase is necessary in order that the Capitol Power Plant wageboard employees may be compensated on a full-year basis in the fiscal year 1969 in accordance with present prevailing rates. An increase of $4,752 is requested for 1969 to meet the cost of Within-grade promotions authorized by the Classification Act of 1949, Normally, it is necessary to provide, annually, for one addi- Increased pay costs due to Public Law 90-206 "Federal Salary Act of 1967", approved Dec. 16, 1967--- Increases authorized by this act went into effect Oct. 8, 1967. The cost for the fiscal year 1968 amounts to $1,100. Due to delay in filling 5 new jobs allowed for 1968, it is possible to absorb this cost for 1968. However, since such savings will not recur in 1969, it is necessary to request for 1969 the full annual cost of $1,580 for next year. $15,552 448 2,800 1,580 ADDITIONS-Continued Payment to employees' life insurance fund--increased from $2,130 to $3,060 This item is required to cover the cost of the Government's payment to employees' life insurance fund required by Public Law 598, 83d Congress. The increase of $930 is due to additional costs resulting from enactment of Public Law 90-206, which provides for additional amounts of insurance for all Federal employees and establishes a new minimum insurance coverage of $10,000 for those employees whose annual basic salary is $8,000 or less. Contribution to retirement fund-increased from $45,100 to $47,190__ This item is required to cover the cost of Government contribution to retirement fund required by Public Law 854, 84th Congress. The additional cost results from increase in basic pay rates. Purchase of electrical energy-increased from $1,355.000 to $1,400,000 No increase has been provided under this allotment for the past 3 years. The present allotment was fixed in 1965 prior to completion of construction work and improvements then underway. The cost of purchase of electrical energy for the fiscal year 1967 amounted to $1,331,475, a saving of $23,525. The present rate of expenditure indicates that there will be no savings in the fiscal year 1968; in fact, the expenditures are expected to exceed the allotment by a moderate amount. Expenditures under this allotment have been increasing this year and will further increase in the fiscal year 1969. This increase is due, mainly, to completion and placing in service, this year, of the final phase of air conditioning the Main Library of Congress Building, the House Underground Garages in Squares 637 and 691, and the first phase of remodeling of the Cannon Building which, with improved lighting, heating, and air conditioning, has added to the electrical load. In addition, the remainder of the Cannon Building, under the second phase of the remodeling program, will be completed by the end of this fiscal year and will further increase the electrical load in the fiscal year 1969. The electrical load is also gradually increasing in the various office buildings, from year to year, due to the use of additional business machines and other mechanical equipment. The 1968 estimate is based on the purchase of 112,917,000 kw.hrs, of electrical energy at an average cost of one and two-tenths cents per kw.-hr. The 1969 estimate is based on the purchase of 116,667,000 kw.-hrs. of electrical energy at the same average cost of one and two-tenths cent per kw.-hr.- an increase of $45,000. All electrical energy required for the Capitol, Senate and House Office Buildings, U.S. Supreme Court Building, Library of Congress Buildings, Senate Garage, and Capitol Grounds street, park and floodlighting systems has been purchased under the Capitol Power Plant appropriation from the local Public Utility at rates negotiated by the General Services Administration for use throughout the Washington metropolitan area by Government agencies, generally, since 1951. This increase is urged in order to insure an adequate and uninterrupted supply of electrical energy for the Capitol and other buildings supplied with energy through this appropriation, in the fiscal year 1969. General annual repairs-increase from $85,000 to $100,000– No increase has been provided under this allotment since 1966, when the present allotment of $85,000 was approved. This allotment has been inadequate to meet actual repair and maintenance costs during the past 3 years. In 1966, we had to expend $108,000 for general annual repairs; in 1967, $104,000; and in the fiscal year 1968, $60,000 to Jan. 31, 1968. There is no means by which this annual expenditure can be reduced if the plant is to be kept in dependable and uninterrupted service. During the fiscal years 1966 and 1967 we were able to meet the excess expenditure through savings in the allotment for purchase of electrical energy. Those savings materialized due to the fact $930 2, 090 45,000 15,000 |