private industry's interest in promoting the general welfare of the
people it serves.

The importance of this area of Maryland to the overall growth
and prosperity of our State cannot be overestimated.

Most of you, I am sure, have seen a recent report of the Federal
Census Bureau which shows that this Washington Metropolitan area
is the fastest growing urban center in the entire United States, out-
stripping such well-known areas as New York and its suburbs, the
Los Angeles-Long Beach area and the San Franciso-Oakland area.
From April, 1960, to July, 1963 the report shows the population of
Washington and its Maryland and Virginia suburbs increased by 12. 8
per cent. During that time, the population of the Washington area
jumped from 1, 989, 377 to 2, 244, 000-an increase of 254, 000 inhabi-
tants in a little more than three years. This is truly a remarkable
pace, especially when it is compared with such areas as New York
City and its suburbs, which gained only 5. 5 per cent for the same
period, the San Francisco-Oakland area, with an increase of 7. 2 per
cent and the Los Angeles-Long Beach area with a gain of 8 per cent.

This county—Prince George's—had a growth rate for the period of
22. 4 per cent, for a total of 437, 000 residents, and along with Fair-
fax in Virginia, is the fastest growing part of the fastest growing area
of the country.

When viewed along with the near-by Baltimore metropolitan area,
which is also growing at a record pace, one sees the impact of what
the social scientists call the "population explosion' on the State of
Maryland. To those of us who are responsible for the operation of
your government, state and local, this population explosion creates
problems of great magnitude—problems of meeting the needs of the
present and planning for the future.

The significance of this project which we are dedicating here to-
day, as I see it, is that it evidences the determination and the ability
of the Potomac Power Company to supply the people in its operat-
ing area—the City of Washington and the suburban areas surround-
ing it—with the electric energy they need now and will need in years
to come to maintain their homes and operate their businesses. To
those of us who are responsible for planning the orderly and healthy
growth of Maryland, this Chalk Point generating station represents
and important milestone in the growth and development of our state.
A healthy and orderly growth of our state requires careful, precise
planning for its economic development, and, as we all know, eco-

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