This meant that most early electric companies operated only during the hours of darkness. Of course, this was an inefficient way of operating, and electric service for the limited hours of operation was very costly.
This obstacle was gradually overcome as people began making use of various other electrical appliances and devices, especially the electric motor. The electric motor made it possible, for the first time in history, for a tool to be relatively far removed from its power source. Electricity provided a clean, quiet form of power that could be sent directly by wire to the spot where it was needed.
A second problem was that the early power stations could transmit electric current only over short distances, so power stations had to be located near their customers. Also, two or more electric companies sometimes served the same community, so several expensive generating systems and costly transmission systems were operating where only one was needed. Since it cost much more to operate two companies than it would cost to operate one company, it was argued that customers would end up having to pay more for their electric service than they would have had to pay if one company acted as the sole supplier for the area.
To make sure the electric companies provided good service in their jobs in energy service and did not take advantage of the public by charging excessive rates, they were placed under government regulation. This was done because providing electric service was clearly a business “affected with a public interest.” The idea of government regulation for business of this kind was not new and its roots extend to the heritage of English common law. Early in the industry’s history, electric companies began linking, or interconnecting their lines and generating equipment with those of electric companies serving neighboring areas. Those companies, in turn, interconnected their lines with still other electric power systems. Through interconnections, the companies would draw needed power from each other when generating equipment was being overhauled, at times of greatest local demand for electricity, or to meet emergencies. The efficiency and economy of interconnected operation proved advantageous, and vast networks of interconnected power systems today cover the United States.
Furthermore, electric companies were very enthusiastic about nuclear power in the 1970s, and dozens of plants were constructed. Serious questions were raised about the safety of nuclear power plants, however, after an accident occurred at the 3 Mile Island nuclear power plant near Harrisburg, Pa., in 1979. Protests against nuclear power plants and concerns for community safety marked the early and mid-1980s.
Nuclear power plants in operation today function by a process called fission, popularly known as splitting an atom. But electric companies also have explored the possibilities of a process called fusion, in which the nuclei of certain atoms are compressed at high temperatures and pressures until the nuclei fuse together, with a resulting release of large amounts of energy. The extremely high temperatures involved in the process, however, thwarted efforts to sustain a fusion reaction for commercial applications, and fusion research moved ahead in the mid-1980s on a smaller scale than previously expected.
Furthermore, the energy jobs of the management people is to help explore new and better ways of doing things with electric energy and to encourage customers to make use of these new ways. As a rule, electric companies employ a staff of specialists in each of four basic areas, industrial uses, commercial uses, farm use, and residential uses. Moreover, electric company industrial representatives help industries develop efficient methods of operation through the use of electric energy. Their work involves meeting regularly with their industrial customers and also cooperating with manufacturers of electrical equipment, jobbers, dealers, contractors, architects, and consulting engineers. Moreover, the power company’s commercial representative is concerned with every customer not covered by the words, “home,” “farm,” or “factory.” Hotels, motels, restaurants, schools, hospitals, retail stores, supermarkets, and many other places all have special electrical needs. The commercial representative seeks to identify these needs and to help develop the means for using electricity more efficiently and economically. While specific requirements vary from company to company, industrial and commercial representatives are usually technically trained, often with engineering backgrounds coupled with training or experience in energy management. The responsibility of company offices extends beyond purely corporate matters to the well-being of the community in which the electric company serves. This is because the electric company’s progress depends upon the progress of its community.
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