The Short Account of Electricity's Emergence and Development: Focusing on Milestones and Inventional Breakthroughs
In the early 19th century, the discovery of electromagnetic induction by Michael Faraday revolutionized the way we generate electricity. Faraday's experiments demonstrated that a changing magnetic field could induce an electric current, paving the way for modern electrical generators [1][4][5].
Faraday's discoveries laid the foundation for the efficient generation of electricity by machines. His principles, such as Faraday's First and Second Laws of Electromagnetic Induction, continue to underpin how virtually all modern electricity generation works [5].
As electricity became a crucial part of our lives, the industry was intertwined with politics from its inception. Samuel Insull, who began his career as a personal assistant to Thomas Edison, built an electricity business that made him a key figure in the industry. However, the electricity industry in the U.S. was considered a natural monopoly by many economists and regulators, leading to state regulators assuming power companies were bound to be monopolies and regulating them accordingly [6].
Insull needed time and a huge public relations effort to convince the industry that statewide public utility regulation was the best way to provide low-cost power and dodge harsh local regulation or takeover. He used high-voltage transmission lines to spread electricity to the suburbs and then to the countryside [7].
In the 1920s, the Federal Power Commission was founded, marking the beginning of federal intervention into electricity beyond hydroelectric licensing. This was followed by the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, which required multi-state companies to divest properties to operate in only one state [8].
The electricity industry faced an unprecedented amount of federal intervention in the 1970s, with the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 requiring electric utilities to buy power from independent generators and new legislation designed to curb electricity use and promote environmental goals [9].
Fast forward to the 1990s, federal regulation of electricity shifted towards a market-based approach with FERC's attempt to restructure the industry by imposing an "open access" model on utilities [3]. Currently, the electric power sector faces an unprecedented amount of federal intervention from several different agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), FERC, and the Department of Energy [2].
The EPA proposed a new rule in 2014 to limit carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants, threatening to close a large portion of the reliable coal-fired electricity supply in the U.S. and undercut power companies' ability to meet electricity demand safely and reliably [10].
In the era of modern power plants, coal has always generated more electricity in the U.S. than any other fuel source. However, electricity powers an increasing portion of our economy, particularly in the form of data centers for the internet and "cloud computing" [11]. The Department of Energy has encouraged renewable sources of electricity through its national laboratories and essentially banned the use of certain technologies, such as the familiar incandescent light bulb, by establishing energy efficiency mandates [12].
Faraday's discovery of electromagnetic induction was the crucial breakthrough that enabled the efficient generation of electricity by machines, shaping the entire field of electric power generation and distribution. His work continues to influence the electricity industry today, as we strive to balance the need for reliable power with environmental concerns and economic efficiency.
References: [1] https://www.britannica.com/science/electromagnetic-induction [2] https://www.energy.gov/eere/electricity/electricity-sector-overview [3] https://www.ferc.gov/about/overview.asp [4] https://www.britannica.com/technology/electric-generator [5] https://www.britannica.com/science/Faraday-s-laws-of-electromagnetic-induction [6] https://www.britannica.com/topic/natural-monopoly [7] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Samuel-Insull [8] https://www.history.com/news/public-utility-holding-company-act [9] https://www.history.com/news/public-utility-regulatory-policies-act [10] https://www.epa.gov/cleanpowerplan [11] https://www.energy.gov/eere/electricity/electricity-sector-overview [12] https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/articles/incandescent-light-bulbs-history-and-phaseout
The advancements in science, specifically Faraday's discoveries and laws of electromagnetic induction, have been the foundation for the efficient generation of electricity by machines. In the present day, technology, including high-voltage transmission lines and modern power plants, continues to evolve, shaping the electricity industry while addressing environmental concerns and economic efficiency.
