I have been interested recently in where the electricity that we now take so easily for granted originally came to be such a big part of our lives.
The computer I write on and the computer you read this on are both powered by the amazing power of electricity but it reaches you and I both through a hugely complex power grid system that lights who nations.
Lets take a closer look at how electricity went from being the domain of lightning to being channeled through massive power plants featuring switchgear technology and many, many more complicated gadgets.
The very first power system the world saw was created in England by two experimenting electricians.
It was 1881 and their very primitive set up included two waterwheels producing enough alternative current, or AC power, to keep several dozen light bulbs illuminated at once.
Unfortunately, this first power plant model wasn't able to provide consistent power to the lamps.
It just barely served its purpose but it was revolutionary for its time.
Much improvement was needed and it wasn't long before people in Europe as well as the US started developing the concept further.
It was just a year later that Thomas Edison came up with a steam powered station in New York City.
This was the first truly functional power system created and the Edison Electric Light Company was soon providing the illuminating power of electricity to a fifty-nine individual customers.
As opposed to the waterwheel set up, Edison's power was not only produced by steam but also translated into DC, or direct current.
It's quaint to realize that electricity technology was so new back then that Edison could only provide to customers within a half mile range! Any farther than this and the power loss during transportation would make it impossible or unreasonable.
Today, it is normal for people to live hundreds of miles away from the power plants that supply and regulate their electricity.
By the late 1800s, electric power was recognized as a rapidly growing and developing field.
Companies were popping up here and there, in the United States and throughout Europe.
A network or power grid slowly arose and more and more people started having electric lighting in their homes.
Germany was the next country to start experimenting with power grids.
Before this, remember, lighting was provided by the sun, candles and gas lamps only.
The concept of electricity was new, unfamiliar and very exciting.
No more gas fumes from lamps.
No more candles dripping wax.
The benefits were numerous and the public was excited about how the new technology could improve their lives.
Today, of course, few waterwheels are used in the grand scheme of powering the United States.
Our power plants are complex and highly advanced combinations of fuses, circuit breakers and switchgear technology combined by engineers.
Let all this knew information give you a moment of gratefulness the next time you switch on a light.