https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/people-had-to-be-convinced-of-the-usefulness-of-electricity-21221094/

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Energy Innovation

A Smithsonian magazine special report

---------------------------------------------------------------------

SMART NEWS

People Had To Be Convinced of the Usefulness of Electricity

When electricity came around, it wasn't immediately seen as a
necessity

Rose Eveleth

Rose Eveleth

Contributor

August 1, 2013
---------------------------------------------------------------------

*Today, electricity is a ubiquitous part of many people's lives. But,
of course, it wasn't always this way. And when electricity came
around, it wasn't immediately seen as a necessity. In fact,
electricity companies had to convince people that their product was
useful.

Here's an ad from the New York Tribune on October 5th, 1920,
explaining the benefits of electricity:

[Electricity-in-Industry]

Image: Library of Congress

What it says:

    Never before have the questions of economy and efficiency in
    production been of such importance as now in the industrial life
    of the country. This is true in the large plant as all as in the
    small shop. Electricity is proving the most effective agency in
    solving these various problems as they arise.

The ad goes on to make the case for the use of electricity. With
electricity, business owners can light a shop and factory in order to
prevent accidents, increase output or help ventilate a room. The
direct application of power to a machine increases efficiency, it
says, and reduces the amount of heavy, exhausting labor.

In 1920, electricity wasn't something that many people thought they
needed, says the Library of Congress. New York Edison still had to
push businesses to adopt not just their technology, but the
technology of electricity to begin with.

They also had to outshine the competition. By 1900, there were 30
electricity companies in the New York City area. In 1920, New York
Edison built a brand new power generation facility that could
generate 770,000 kilowatt-hours. For reference, the city of New York
City now uses about 100,000 kilowatt-hours per minute. 

More from Smithsonian.com:

New Ways to Live Energy Efficient>
Want to Revolutionize Energy? Improve the Battery

Rose Eveleth

Rose Eveleth |  | READ MORE

Rose Eveleth was a writer for Smart News and a producer/designer/
science writer/ animator based in Brooklyn. Her work has appeared in
the New York Times, Scientific American, Story Collider, TED-Ed and
OnEarth.

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