retroelectro
Edison was heavily invested in DC power transmission. He would negotiate deals with cities and municipalities to install numerous power stations throughout their areas, in exchange for the profits from those stations. With little to no upfront cost, towns were eager to grant him anything he wanted in exchange for streetlights and lit storefronts. The problem was that if anything emerged to threaten all the investment he had already made into DC systems, he would suffer significant losses. Alternating current (AC) was the solution to this distance problem, but unfortunately for Edison, he was already waist- deep in DC power by the time he realized he could not pivot to AC easily. AC was superior to DC for power transmission because it could travel much farther with less loss. This was because AC voltage could be increased (stepped up) using a transformer, which reduced the current in the wires and thus minimized
energy lost through heat from resistance. Once it reached its destination, the voltage could be safely stepped down again for use in homes and businesses. AC required fewer power stations and smaller transmission lines, making it overall much more cost-effective than anything Edison was doing.
Solving the problem with Edison’s DC power Up to this point in electrical history, direct current (DC) was the dominant system of power transmission, but it presented significant limitations. DC power could only be transmitted effectively over very short distances (up to one and half miles) due to the voltage drops of the power lines. To resolve this, the number of power stations increased, generating more pollution, while the power lines became thicker and more expensive. It was obvious that widespread urban electrification would never be practical and would be difficult and expensive to maintain. As Stanley himself said, “It was the common saying of the day that, if one should attempt to light Fifth Avenue from Fourteenth Street to Fifty- Ninth Street, the (DC) conductors required would be as large as a man’s leg.”
Thomas Edison as he looked during this time.
Retro Electro Fun Fact: Around this time, Edison enlisted the help of a former Navy Officer named Frank J Sprague to try to solve his power transmission issues. Sprague found Edison to be insufferable and left to start his own company, developing the first practical electric motor for trolleys and railways. Read more about his story in the Retro Electro article ‘Frank J Sprague and the Richmond Union Passenger Railway.’ (Link: https://emedia.digikey.com/view/251481832/16-17/)
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