Molly Ayala
The early 20th century was a period of transformation for New York City, with electricity becoming a common power source and bringing about significant changes in how people lived and worked. While electricity had been discovered much earlier, it was only in the late 19th century that it began to be harnessed for widespread consumption in the city. This shift from gas to electric power was made possible by the efforts of several electric companies that emerged during this time. The competition between these companies, known as the War of the Currents, played out through the introduction of different power transmission systems, namely direct current (dc) and alternating current (ac). The early 20th century saw a move towards ac distribution, with United, an independent company, leading the way in this innovation.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Electricity in New York in the early 20th century | Not common; a luxury |
| Electricity sources | Niagara Falls, natural-gas-fired plants, Canadian border |
| Electricity providers | United Electric Light & Power Company, Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, New York Edison, Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. (Con Ed), Brush Electric Company, Edison Company |
| Electricity costs | New York State: 18.28 cents per kilowatt-hour |
| Electricity costs (Con Ed) | 24.736 cents per kilowatt-hour |
| Electricity costs (cheapest) | Louisiana: 9.33 cents per kilowatt-hour |
| Power plants | 350 automatic distribution networks worldwide by the end of the 20th century |
| Power plants (New York) | 315 automatic distribution networks by the 1970s |
| Power plants (New York) | 7 designed by Thomas E. Murray |
| Power plants (New York) | 2 bought by the Power Authority in 1974 |
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What You'll Learn
Pearl Street Station
The Pearl Street Station, also known as the Pearl Street generating station, was the world's first permanent central power station for supplying incandescent lighting. It was completed and put into commercial operation on September 4, 1882, by Thomas Edison, who served as his own chief engineer on the project. The Pearl Street Station was the first full-scale central station system for installation in New York City, conclusively proving that his dc system worked and was commercially viable.
Edison carefully chose the service area and location for his first central station after conducting extensive market research. He selected an area known as the First District, a densely populated, rectangular area with a mix of commercial and residential uses. The First District was bounded by Wall Street on the south, Nassau Street on the west, the East River on the east, and Spruce Street on the north. The Pearl Street Station introduced the concept of metered power sales for interior lighting and eventually electrically powered equipment.
The station was not an immediate financial success, but it demonstrated the enormous benefits of comprehensive electrification. On the first day of operation, the station supplied power to about 400 lamps serving fewer than 90 customers. Within a year, the number of lamps had increased to about 10,000, serving 513 customers. The Pearl Street Station faithfully delivered electric power to its customers from September 4, 1882, to January 2, 1890, with only one interruption lasting three hours, setting an early standard for utility system reliability.
Similar Edison dc low-voltage central-station electric systems were built in other parts of New York City and licensed for installation in cities and towns worldwide during the following decade. The success of the Pearl Street Station and the competition from other companies like the Brush Electric Company marked the beginning of the end of monopolies in the electric utility industry, with a shift towards competition and the advancement of AC distribution networks.
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Thomas Edison's first power plant
The Pearl Street Station served what was known as the "First District", which included the offices of The New York Times. This district was so named because of its importance in the history of electric power. The station featured several innovations, including Edison's "Jumbo" dynamo, a 27-ton machine that produced 100 kilowatts, enough to power 1200 lights. Six of these dynamos were required to light up the one square mile of New York City serviced by the Pearl Street plant.
The plant also featured an elaborate network of wires and underground tubes, which were necessary to deliver energy to customers. This network was a significant challenge to construct, as New York City politicians were initially sceptical of Edison's proposal to dig up the streets of lower Manhattan to install the needed 100,000 feet of wiring. However, Edison was eventually able to convince the mayor to approve the project.
Despite these challenges, the Pearl Street system worked well, providing soft, mellow light that was "grateful to the eye", according to The New York Times. However, the project was a money-losing business for several years, with high initial costs and ongoing operating expenses, such as the large amount of coal needed to feed the plant's boilers. In 1890, a fire broke out at the station, destroying all but one of the Jumbo dynamos. The station was rebuilt but was eventually decommissioned in 1895 as it had become obsolete, with larger and more efficient plants having been built nearby.
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Arc lighting
The history of electricity in New York City is a fascinating one. While electricity had been discovered long before, it was not until the very end of the 19th century that it was harnessed for common consumption. In the early 20th century, arc lighting, or arc light systems, were already in decline. However, the Thomson-Houston company, which had become the dominant electrical manufacturing company in the U.S. by 1890, controlled the key patents to urban lighting systems.
The concept of carbon-arc lighting was first demonstrated by Humphry Davy in the early 19th century. Davy used charcoal sticks and a two-thousand-cell battery to create an arc across a 4-inch (100 mm) gap. He mounted his electrodes horizontally and observed that the arc formed the shape of an arch due to the strong convection flow of air. Thus, he coined the term "arch lamp", which was later contracted to "arc lamp" when the devices came into common usage.
In 1858, the first practical installation of arc lighting took place at the South Foreland lighthouse in England. By the 1870s, there were dozens of different arc lighting generators and lamps on the market, and arc lighting was in wide use for public lighting. One of the most famous lamps was the Jablochkoff candle, invented by Russian inventor Pavel Nikolayevich Yablochkov in 1870. It addressed a common issue with arc lamps, where the white-hot arc would quickly eat away at the electrodes until they were too far apart for the arc to jump across the gap. The Jablochkoff candle used two parallel carbon rods designed to provide a long service life.
In 1880, the Brush Electric Company, founded by Charles F. Brush, built a central power station in Manhattan. It supplied arc lighting for two miles along Broadway between Herald and Union Squares, earning the thoroughfare its nickname "The Great White Way". By 1890, there were 1,500 arc lamps being used in New York City, mainly for large private customers such as hotels and theatres. However, electricity was still not common in New York, and arc lighting was largely limited to outdoor use due to the danger of sparking.
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Monopoly on natural resources
The early 20th century saw the continued development of electricity infrastructure in New York, with a transition away from monopolies towards competition in the electric utility industry.
In the late 19th century, electricity was introduced to New York, initially in the form of arc street lamps and lighting for private customers such as hotels and theatres. The early 20th century saw the continued development of electricity infrastructure, with companies such as the Brush Electric Company, United Electric Light & Power Company, Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, and Edison all competing in the market.
The "War of the Currents" between Edison and Westinghouse took place during this time, with Edison initially dominating with his direct current (DC) system. However, as more investors and inventors became involved in New York City's electricity infrastructure, the need for alternating current (AC) began to win out. The invention of the mercury arc rectifier in 1902 allowed for the conversion of AC to DC, giving users the benefits of both systems.
By the early 20th century, Thomas E. Murray had designed seven power plants that served as the sole source of utility company power for New York City. These power plants replaced inefficient neighbourhood DC power stations with a central AC station, marking a significant advancement in power distribution.
During this period, New York Edison, which later became the Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc., began acquiring and merging with other electric, steam, and gas companies. This trend towards consolidation and monopolisation of natural resources continued, with Consolidated Edison eventually providing all the electricity to New York City.
In the late 20th century, the electric utility industry in New York began to move away from monopolies, with the Power Authority facilitating the transition towards competition. This included the sale of nuclear plants to private corporations and a focus on large hydropower projects to ensure reliable supplies of clean and low-cost power.
The early 20th century was a pivotal period in the development of New York's electricity infrastructure, with competing companies, technological advancements, and the emergence of monopolies shaping the industry.
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Electricity in private homes
The history of electricity in New York City private homes is a fascinating one. Before electricity became a common power source in the city, residents used a variety of methods to provide some level of comfort in their homes. For lighting, people used candles, oil lanterns, or gas lamps, which often led to early bedtimes as they needed to conserve their light fuel. Street lighting was also non-existent in the early days, with people living by the streets required to leave lights in their windows for those outside.
The transition to electricity in New York City began in the late 19th century. In 1880, the Brush Electric Company built a central power station in Manhattan, supplying arc lighting for two miles along Broadway. However, electricity was still not widely used in the city, and arc lighting was mostly limited to outdoor use due to the danger of sparking.
The electrical age in New York City truly began on September 4, 1882, when Thomas Edison's Edison Illuminating Company switched on its power station on Pearl Street in lower Manhattan, providing electricity to homes. By the end of the month, they had 59 customers, and this number quickly grew to 513 the following year. This development spurred major growth in the city, with more homes receiving electric power, the construction of skyscrapers, and the development of an electric trolley system in the 1890s.
At the same time, Edison was battling with George Westinghouse and Nikola Tesla in what became known as the "War of Currents". Edison used DC (Direct Current) to power buildings, while Westinghouse and Tesla advocated for AC (Alternating Current). Initially, Edison dominated the New York market, with his system extending from the Battery to Central Park. However, as more investors and inventors became involved in the city's electricity infrastructure, the need for AC began to win out. The invention of the mercury arc rectifier in 1902 provided a solution, allowing alternating current to be converted into direct current, and giving users the benefits of both systems.
By the early 20th century, electricity had become a norm in New York City, powering lights, cooking appliances, and various other electronic devices in private homes. Today, residents of the city take for granted their abundant power and the luxuries it affords them, even though this level of electrification was only achieved within the last 100 years.
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Frequently asked questions
In the early 20th century, 90% of the power sold in New York City was distributed by the Edison Company. However, there were several other electric companies in New York at the time, including the Brush Electric Company, the Prometheus Electric Company, the United Electric Light & Power Company, and the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company.
In the early 20th century, electricity was being used for lighting, electrical motors, appliances, and other non-lighting applications. By the 1920s, electricity was also being used to power an electric trolley system in New York City.
Before the advent of electric companies in New York, city dwellers used a variety of methods to provide some level of comfort at home and at work. Gas manufactured from coal lit street lamps and domestic lamps, and complex systems of pipes provided gas for lanterns and to power steam boilers for hot water and radiator heat.
