Thomas Edison discovered a way to transmit electricity. The year was 1882 in the Manhattan borough of NYC. He established the first electric station. “The pearl Street Station” Instead of kerosene lights eventually we had incandescent light bulbs. they used power lines There were over 20 inventors of the first light bulbs, however it was Thomas Edison in 1879, who was accredited with the discovery. http://www.bulbs.com/learning/history.aspx General Electri,c just as we enetered the 1900s started on many inventions of the incandeseant light bulbs. In the 1880s electric grids were established in NYC, Niagara Falls, Germany, Massachusetts, etc. a good view of our history of early electric grids. tp://www.edisontechcenter.org/HistElectPowTrans.htmlht It brings me to our grid today. With the northeast industrial boom power grids were established. Manufacturing shoes, clothes, appliances, saw mills, nails tools even Smith & Weston found they could drastically increase production with electricity. Even though many of the early power grids were powered by coal plants. Niagara Falls was a huge boost for inexpensive electricity. Many of our early lines were replaced by more modern wiring. It is the massive electric grid that presents a problem. There is over 450,000 miles of High Transmission lines. From there are multiple smaller lines that sprawl out to service our needs. With several blackouts attention has been made to our aging grid. Our grid is divided into three main parts. The rockies to the Pacific Ocean is the First. ( It would be difficult to have lines over the Rockies. The second is the the Rockies east tot the Atlantic Ocean. The third is Texas. With its huge size and miles of waste land it was determined to have its own power grid. The famous blackout in 1965 and 2003 in the northeast has brought attention to our aging grids. there were several other blackouts. http://www.edisontechcenter.org/HistElectPowTrans.html This has brought several cries from our lawmakers to address this. Finally in the year 2010 under President Obama the ” Recovery Act 2010″ was passed 4.5 billion was awarded for our electrical grid. Some of that money has been spent to update our grid.
1—- 10,000 automated capacitors were installed. 2—- 7,000 automated Feeder switches were put in 3—- 15.5 million smart meters were installed
The main problem of an aging and vulnerable power grid still remains. In one freak storm in Ritchie County, West Virginia three high towers collapsed. The High Tower can withstand winds up to 70 miles per hour. Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Earthquakes and Nor’easters are a few of the natural calamities that threaten our grid. In India just recently a blackout affected 600 million customers. It is in this new world of Terrorism that in my view is a darker and more sinister threat. Even though EMP,s are controversial ( some say a ballistic missile is needed.} I feel such an act will change the US status forever. It is the main reason I wrote my first fictional book ” Boston Darkens” Soon I will Publish a sequel ” Boston Flickers”
Boston Darkens 