“Edison lost. People forget that. Yes, he had stray dogs, cats and a circus elephant electrocuted using alternating current, to demonstrate its dangers and promote his own direct current. But it didn’t matter. Using transformers, alternating current could send out a large charge on small wires across great distances, from a single power plant, which was then reduced, or alternated, upon reaching a home or business. Direct current couldn’t travel like AC; it suffered significant power losses over long distances. AC, which G.E. adapted in 1892, largely triumphed. But today, with the rise of smaller, alternative-energy sources (solar especially), a distributed DC-based grid could again challenge AC.”
- A Brief History of Failure
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