How the world’s first electric grid was built

(worksinprogress.co)

40 points | by zdw 4 days ago

4 comments

  • floathub 1 hour ago
    The power generated from Niagara river stations was traveling on an international "grid" between Canada and the US in the late 1890s.
  • gotwaz 48 minutes ago
    Fragmentation is natural. The human body doesnt need all this infra and a grid operator/energy schedules to run. Cells dont bill each other if they over/under generate ATP molecules. There is no deviation settlement mech and no need for everything to sync to some arbit frequency. Watch how the grid changes post Ukraine drone wars where taking out generators, transmission lines and substations has become a fully automated process.
  • detourdog 1 hour ago
    I think Great Barrington, MA. might also be able to claim the title of first. It seems to predate this system by a year.

    https://www.edisontechcenter.org/GreatBarrington.html

    • Carrok 1 hour ago
      > Stanley's system was however an experimental system designed to be proof of concept. It was short lived as the weak points in the system in the system eventually shut the system down (Westinghouse's steam engine was unreliable and the Siemens generator was 'unsatisfactory').
      • detourdog 1 hour ago
        March 6th, 1886 Stanley lit the downtown and rejoiced along with the townspeople. The system lit both businesses and the street with 150, 50, and 16 candlepower incandescent lamps. Stanley remarked how people were happy however maintained some distance from the lights as they were afraid of them!

        They had growing pains but it was a grid system.

  • franrai 1 hour ago
    [dead]