That means 585.2 million people remain in the dark. In 2009, the International Energy Agency estimated that nearly 70 percent of people in Sub-Saharan Africa lacked access to electricity. There is, of course, still much more to be done. As international development groups and economists point out, access to electricity is a hallmark of advanced societies and a basic requirement for economic progress. “Next to the increasing importance of hydrocarbons as sources of energy,” economist Erich Zimmermann wrote in 1951, “the rise of electricity is the most characteristic feature of the so-called second industrial revolution.” In recent years, people in countries from China to Kenya have experienced rising living standards, as more people are able to use electricity to keep their homes and schools cool during torrid summers, to refrigerate food that would have otherwise spoiled, and to purify water that would have otherwise been unsafe to drink. Increased electricity access has lit corners of the world that were once dark. Smil explains electricity’s appeal: “Electricity is the preferred form of energy because of its high efficiency, instant and effortless access, perfect and easily adjustable flow, cleanliness, and silence at the point of use.” A century later, 30 percent of our use of natural gas, oil, and coal was devoted to electric power. In 1900, for example, less than two percent of natural gas, oil, and coal were used to make electricity. The ever-growing applications of electricity explain the increasing use of fuels like natural gas, oil, and coal in power generation as opposed to direct uses such as heating or transportation. The always-on data centers that support the internet and “cloud computing” will continue to increase demand for electricity, overwhelming the modest decreases in electricity use in other parts of the economy, such as manufacturing processes. Most recently, electrons have powered the digital age to create what energy expert Vaclav Smil calls our “instantaneously interconnected global civilization.” Technology expert Mark Mills points out that electricity powers an increasing portion of our economy. Our modern electric world began with applications like the telegraph, light bulb, and telephone, and continued with radio, television, and many household appliances. We also use electricity to power an increasing number of devices. Source: Energy Information AdministrationĮlectricity generation mix by fuel type, 1949-2011 In recent decades, we have seen other sources compete for second place: first hydroelectricity, then natural gas, nuclear power, and natural gas again. In the era of modern power plants, coal has always generated more electricity in the U.S. In fact, Faraday’s process is used in modern power production, although today’s power plants produce much stronger currents on a much larger scale than Faraday’s hand-held device. The discovery of electromagnetic induction revolutionized how we use energy. Building on the experiments of Franklin and others, he observed that he could create or “induce” electric current by moving magnets inside coils of copper wire. One of the first major breakthroughs in electricity occurred in 1831, when British scientist Michael Faraday discovered the basic principles of electricity generation. In the time since Franklin’s experiments, our grasp of electricity has grown tremendously, and we are constantly finding new ways to use it to improve our lives. Part 4: Insull Builds the Modern Power GridĪlthough people have known about electricity since ancient times, they’ve only been harnessing its power for about 250 years. Benjamin Franklin’s electricity experiments – including his famous kite experiment in 1752 – showed just how little we knew about electricity in the era of the American revolution and the first industrial revolution. Part 2: The Dawn of Electric Light in the U.S. When we take a fresh look at electricity, we see that keeping America powered up is actually an amazing feat-an everyday miracle. Where does it come from? What’s its story? Although hundreds of millions of Americans plug into the electric grid every day, most of us don’t give the history of electricity a second thought. Electricity provides clean, safe light around the clock, it cools our homes on hot summer days (and heats many of them in winter), and it quietly breathes life into the digital world we tap into with our smartphones and computers. Affordable, reliable electricity is fundamental to modern life.
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