Sign-In
Cart
A History of the United States Electric Grid
Hardcover
Technology & EngineeringElectricalPhysics
Publisher Price: $29.99
Publisher: Douglas Hemme
Published: Aug 29 2025
Pages: 254
Weight: 1.12
Height: 0.63 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
From Edison's First Light Bulb to Today's Smart Grid
Discover the extraordinary story behind the infrastructure that powers modern America in this comprehensive exploration of the United States electrical grid. From Thomas Edison's pioneering Pearl Street Station in 1882 to today's interconnected network spanning over 160,000 miles of transmission lines, this book traces the remarkable evolution of one of humanity's greatest engineering achievements.
A Journey Through Electrical History
A History of the United States Electric Grid takes readers through the pivotal moments that shaped our electrical infrastructure. Witness the fierce War of Currents between Edison's direct current and Westinghouse's alternating current systems, explore the transformative impact of rural electrification that brought power to 90% of American farms by the 1950s, and examine the complex regulatory battles that continue to influence energy policy today.
From Local Innovation to National Infrastructure
This meticulously researched work illuminates how electricity transformed from a laboratory curiosity into the invisible backbone of modern civilization. Learn how the post-World War II boom tripled electricity usage, how the 1965 Northeast blackout led to the creation of national reliability standards, and how deregulation experiments of the 1990s forever changed the industry landscape.
Perfect for Students and Energy Enthusiasts
Written in an accessible, educational style, this book serves as an essential resource for college students, policy makers, and anyone seeking to understand the technical, economic, and social forces that created our modern electrical system. Each chapter builds upon previous concepts while exploring the recurring themes of centralization versus decentralization, regulation versus market forces, and the ongoing challenge of balancing reliability, affordability, and environmental responsibility.
Understanding Today's Grid Through Yesterday's Decisions
As we face new challenges from renewable energy integration, cybersecurity threats, and climate change, understanding the historical foundations of our electrical grid becomes more crucial than ever. This comprehensive history provides the essential context needed to appreciate both the remarkable achievements of the past and the complex decisions that will shape our electrical future.
Douglas Donovan presents a masterful synthesis of technological innovation, business strategy, and public policy that reveals how a series of local experiments grew into the vast, interconnected system that powers the American economy and way of life.
Essential reading for understanding the infrastructure that makes modern America possible.
1 different editions
Also available
Also from
Donovan, Douglas
When Time Bends: A Journey Through Einstein's Universe of Gravity, Speed, and the Elastic Nature of Time
Donovan, Douglas
Paperback
The Dragon's Nuclear Renaissance: How China Built the World's Fastest-Growing Nuclear Power Industry
Donovan, Douglas
Paperback
The Dragon's Nuclear Renaissance: How China Built the World's Fastest-Growing Nuclear Power Industry
Donovan, Douglas
Hardcover
When Time Bends: A Journey Through Einstein's Universe of Gravity, Speed, and the Elastic Nature of Time
Donovan, Douglas
Hardcover
The Dragon's Nuclear Renaissance: How China Built the World's Fastest-Growing Nuclear Power Industry
Donovan, Douglas
Paperback
The Machine That Moves Electricity: The Hidden Technology That Built the Grid - and Could Determine America's Energy Future
Donovan, Douglas
Paperback
Also in
Physics
The Formative Years of Relativity: The History and Meaning of Einstein's Princeton Lectures
Renn, Jürgen
Gutfreund, Hanoch
Hardcover
Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100
Kaku, Michio
Hardcover
How It All Works: All Scientific Laws and Phenomena Illustrated & Demonstrated
Dant, Adam
Clegg, Brian
Hardcover
Feynman's Lost Lecture: The Motion of Planets Around the Sun [With CDROM]
Goodstein, David L.
Paperback
Lost in Space: 5,000 Facts for Navigating the Universe
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Walker, Lindsey Nyx
Hardcover
The Edge of Space-Time: Particles, Poetry, and the Cosmic Dream Boogie
Prescod-Weinstein, Chanda
Hardcover
5 Steps to a 5: AP Physics 1 2027: Practice AP Tests + AP Content Review + Digital Exams
Jacobs, Greg
Paperback
Just Visiting This Planet, Revised and Updated for the Twenty-First Century: Further Scientific Adventures of Merlin from Omniscia
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Hardcover
What If? 10th Anniversary Edition: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
Munroe, Randall
Hardcover
Beyond Darwin: How Epigenetics, Quantum Science, and Cooperation Shape Humanity's Future
Lipton, Bruce H.
Hardcover
Astronomy 101, 2nd Edition: From Gravitational Waves and Merging Black Holes to New Exoplanets and Asteroid Samples, Key Theories, Discoveries, and Fa
Petersen, Carolyn Collins
Hardcover
My Big TOE Awakening Discovery Inner Workings: The Complete My Big TOE Trilogy Unifying Philosophy, Physics and Metaphysics
Campbell, Thomas
Hardcover
Six Easy Pieces: Essentials of Physics Explained by Its Most Brilliant Teacher
Leighton, Robert B.
Sands, Matthew
Feynman, Richard P.
Paperback
Time's Second Arrow: Evolution, Order, and a New Law of Nature
Wong, Michael L.
Hazen, Robert M.
Hardcover
What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
Munroe, Randall
Hardcover
A New Science of Heaven: How the New Science of Plasma Physics Is Shedding Light on Spiritual Experience
Temple, Robert
Paperback
Princeton Review AP Physics 1 Premium Prep, 13th Edition: 5 Practice Tests + Digital Practice Online + Content Review
The Princeton Review
Paperback
Take Me to Your Leader: Perspectives on Your First Alien Encounter (Large Print Edition)
Tyson, Neil DeGrasse
Hardcover
AP Physics 1 Premium, 2027: Prep Book with 4 Practice Tests + Comprehensive Review + Online Practice
Rideout, Kenneth, M. S.
Wolf, Jonathan, M. a. Ed M.
Paperback
The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey Into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred
Prescod-Weinstein, Chanda
Paperback
Strange Angel: The Otherworldly Life of Rocket Scientist John Whiteside Parsons
Pendle, George
Paperback
Do Aliens Speak Physics?: And Other Questions about Science and the Nature of Reality
Warner, Andy
Whiteson, Daniel
Hardcover
American Prometheus (Pulitzer Prize Winner): The Inspiration for the Major Motion Picture Oppenheimer
Bird, Kai
Sherwin, Martin J.
Paperback
Graph Paper Notebook 1/4 inch squares: Graph Paper Composition Book For Children and Women 8 x 10 inch, 122 Pages
Warren, Leann S.
Paperback
AP Physics 1 Premium, 2026: Prep Book with 4 Practice Tests + Comprehensive Review + Online Practice
Wolf, Jonathan, M. a. Ed M.
Rideout, Kenneth, M. S.
Paperback
The Black Book of Manifestation: Hidden Secrets & Forbidden Techniques to Shape Your Reality
Sharma, Sagar
Paperback
The Montauk Project - Experiments in Time: Silver Anniversary Edition
Nichols, Preston B.
Moon, Peter
Paperback
Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance, 7th Edition: The World's Best-Selling Guide to Mountain Bike Repair
Zinn, Lennard
Paperback
Introduction to Live Sound Reinforcement: The Science, the Art, and the Practice
Boyce, Teddy
Paperback
Quantum Physics and Higher Consciousness: Unlocking the Mysteries of Reality and Awakening Your Inner Power
Silva, Mari
Hardcover
The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels Between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism
Capra, Fritjof
Paperback
From Shiva to Schrödinger: Unravelling Cosmic Secrets with Trika Shaivism & Quantum Insights
Majumdar, Mrittunjoy Guha
Paperback
Why Nobody Understands Quantum Physics: The Story of the Science That Shapes Our World
Broeckaert, Céline
Verstraete, Frank
Hardcover
Ways of Being: Animals, Plants, Machines: The Search for a Planetary Intelligence
Bridle, James
Paperback
Zinn & the Art of Road Bike Maintenance, 6th Edition: The World's Best-Selling Bicycle Repair and Maintenance Guide
Zinn, Lennard
Paperback
Quantum Mechanics Done Right: The Shortest Path from Novice to Researcher
Freericks, James K.
Hardcover
Smithsonian Atlas of Space: A Map to the Universe from the Big Bang to the Future
Launius, Roger D.
Hardcover
A Brief Welcome to the Universe: A Pocket-Sized Tour
Strauss, Michael A.
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Gott, J. Richard
Paperback
The Rife Method Manual: 1,000+ Essential Rife Frequencies from A to Z and How to Use Them Safely and Effectively
Harkness, Aaron
Paperback
My Big TOE Awakening Discovery Inner Workings: The Complete My Big TOE Trilogy Unifying Philosophy, Physics, and Metaphysics
Campbell, Thomas
Paperback
The Montauk Project - Experiments in Time: Silver Anniversary Edition
Moon, Peter
Nichols, Preston B.
Hardcover
The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory
Greene, Brian
Paperback
Six Not-So-Easy Pieces: Einstein's Relativity, Symmetry, and Space-Time
Leighton, Robert B.
Sands, Matthew
Feynman, Richard P.
Paperback
Do Your Ears Pop in Space? and 500 Other Surprising Questions about Space Travel
Mullane, R. Mike
Paperback
The Theoretical Minimum: What You Need to Know to Start Doing Physics
Susskind, Leonard
Hrabovsky, George
Paperback
Welcome to the Universe: An Astrophysical Tour
Gott, J. Richard
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Strauss, Michael A.
Hardcover
Rocket Dreams: Musk, Bezos, and the Inside Story of the New, Trillion-Dollar Space Race
Davenport, Christian
Hardcover
Cosmos and Transcendence: Breaking Through the Barrier of Scientistic Belief
Smith, Wolfgang
Paperback
The Fabric of Reality: The Science of Parallel Universes--And Its Implications
Deutsch, David
Paperback
Fundamentals of Astrodynamics: Second Edition
Bate, Roger R.
Mueller, Donald D.
White, Jerry E.
Paperback
The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla and Other Works (Deluxe Leatherbound Edition)
Martin, Thomas Commerford
Tesla, Nikola
Hardcover
There Are Places in the World Where Rules Are Less Important Than Kindness: And Other Thoughts on Physics, Philosophy and the World
Rovelli, Carlo
Paperback
Unseen Universe: Space as You've Never Seen It Before from the James Webb Space Telescope
Harper, Caroline
Hardcover
Time Travel in Einstein's Universe: The Physical Possibilities of Travel Through Time
Gott, J. Richard
Paperback
Alchemy of Nine Dimensions: Activating the Full Spectrum of Consciousness
Clow, Barbara Hand
Paperback
Signals from the Subatomic World: How to Build a Proton Precession Magnetometer
Hollos, Stefan
Hollos, Richard
Paperback
Regents Exams and Answers Physical Science Physics Fourth Edition (Barron's New York Regents)
Lazar, Miriam, M. S. Ed
Paperback
Let's Review Regents: Physical Science- Physics, Seventh Edition (Barron's NY Regents)
Lazar, Miriam A., M. S.
Tarendash, Albert, M. S.
Paperback
Cosmic Queries: Startalk's Guide to Who We Are, How We Got Here, and Where We're Going
Tyson, Neil DeGrasse
Hardcover
Fantastic Numbers and Where to Find Them: A Journey to the Edge of Physics
Padilla, Antonio
Paperback
The One Thing You Need to Know: The Simple Way to Understand the Most Important Ideas in Science
Chown, Marcus
Paperback
AP Physics C Premium, Eighth Edition: 4 Practice Tests + Comprehensive Review + Online Practice (2026)
Pelcovits, Robert A., PH. D.
Farkas, Joshua, M. D.
Paperback
Collisions: A Physicist's Journey from Hiroshima to the Death of the Dinosaurs
Nevala-Lee, Alec
Hardcover
Analytic Idealism in a Nutshell: A Straightforward Summary of the 21st Century's Only Plausible Metaphysics
Kastrup, Bernardo
Paperback
The Sound Atlas: A Guide to Strange Sounds Across Landscapes and Imagination
Yuen, Isaac
Vieser, Michaela
Hardcover
Princeton Review AP Physics C Premium Prep, 19th Edition: 4 Practice Tests + Digital Practice Online + Content Review
The Princeton Review
Paperback
Sciencia: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Astronomy for All
Betts, Moff
Tweed, Matt
Watkins, Matthew
Hardcover
Relativity: The Special and the General Theory - 100th Anniversary Edition
Einstein, Albert
Paperback
The Universe Story: From the Primordial Flaring Forth to the Ecozoic Era--A Celebration of the Unfol
Swimme, Brian
Paperback
Scale: The Universal Laws of Life, Growth, and Death in Organisms, Cities, and Companies
West, Geoffrey
Paperback