A History of Electricity and Invisible Energy in America

Turn on the switch to keep your dirty lights on

Book by Daniel French, University of Pittsburgh Press, November 2016

ABOUT THE AUTHOR — Daniel French is an adjunct professor of history at the University of Toledo, where he teaches the history of business and technology. He is also an adjunct instructor of history at Jackson College in Jackson, Michigan.

BOOK SUMMARY — When They Hid the Fire examines the American social perceptions of electricity as an energy technology that were adopted between the mid-nineteenth and early decades of the twentieth centuries. Arguing that both technical and cultural factors played a role, Daniel French shows how electricity became an invisible and abstract form of energy in American society. As technological advancements allowed for an increasing physical distance between power generation and power consumption, the commodity of electricity became consciously detached from the environmentally destructive fire and coal that produced it. This development, along with cultural forces, led the public to define electricity as mysterious, utopian, and an alternative to nearby fire-based energy sources. With its adoption occurring simultaneously with Progressivism and consumerism, electricity use was encouraged and seen as an integral part of improvement and modernity, leading Americans to culturally construct electricity as unlimited and environmentally inconsequential—a newfound “basic right” of life in the United States.

REVIEW — When They Hid the Fire is an important historical study that helps us understand how the electric power system—a key element of modern society’s infrastructure—became invisible. The unseen nature of electricity has had profound policy implications because consumers generally have no idea that power production often results in serious environmental degradation. This book forces readers to confront their history and to think about how their energy futures might need to change. Richard F. Hirsh, Virginia Tech University

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See also: Tim O’Brien and Darrell Scott – “Keep Your Dirty Lights On” (eTown webisode #566) – YouTube