A glance to history

Now everybody is well conversant with long distance high voltage AC power transmission system and its advantage over DC power transmission system (with exceptions of very long distance bulk power HVDC transmission). However this journey was not as obvious as now we think. Hence it is interesting to look into history. 

Development of modern power system began in 1885 with the development of transformer by L. Gaulard, J. D. Gibbs and W. Stanley. In 1885-86 Westinghouse and Stanley installed the first multiple-voltage AC power system in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. The network was driven by a hydroelectric generator that produced 500 volts AC. The voltage was stepped up to 3,000 volts for transmission, and then stepped back down to 100 volts to drive electric lights. During 1890 the first AC commercial transmission line in the United State was put into operation from Willamette Falls to Portland. This transmission line was operating at 3.3kV and line length was 13 mi (21 km).