Steve Mitnick is Editor-in-Chief of Public Utilities Fortnightly and author of the book “Lines Down: How We Pay, Use, Value Grid Electricity Amid the Storm.”
Ben Franklin flew a kite and a key. Took light from the sky
Don't you see. That was the start, that was the spark
Mike Faraday made his mark. Made a motor and more
Then JC Maxwell laid down his laws. Between magnetic and electric, which was the cause?
Tommy Edison brought the medicine, shined the light, turned night bright
Had a big fight, wrestled Nick Tesla, it was a sorry sight. DC, AC, me, me, they couldn't agree
Big George Westinghouse pronounced, then he announced
A winner in Chi-town. DC going down. AC takes the crown.
Crazy hair, came from nowhere. Albert Einstein, said E is MC square
Photo electric effect. So, solar, we're on a roller
Fathered nuclear, the new leader. Though not too cheap to meter.
Sam Insull said let's give up control, to a commission with a mission
They can set the rate of return, in every state. They can get it straight
Return, we earn, commission adjourned.
Davy Lilienthal cut a deal with Wendell Willkie, for the Valley of Tennessee
Called it TV Authority. There was no guarantee, but less impediment to development
And co-ops in the countryside, I won't lie. It turned the tide, gave people pride.
Now it's our turn, for a better future we yearn
Energy that's constant, cheap, clean. For our children, an earth that's green
We're a machine. Here's the scheme. Right here in this magazine
We're going to innovate, create, captivate, celebrate. It's our fate.
Another age of electricity, for you and me, we have the ability, the intensity, to take it to infinity.
Here's the situation, it's not my imagination, electrification is the foundation, for the population.
