Could anything be more important to us, or less thought of, than the supply of electricity we use everywhere and every day? Electricity transformed humankind. It lengthened our days for both leisure and work. It has made it infinitely easier to prepare food, while making food so much tastier. It warms us and cools us.
It allowed for truly miraculous progress in medicine, science, and exploration. It revolutionized engineering and made the computer, telephones, television, and airplanes possible. It has allowed us to reach for the stars and beyond. It expanded our ability to obtain an education. It has drawn the world much closer and, sadly, allowed it to become far more dangerous.
The prestigious National Academy of Engineering chose electricity as mankind’s single greatest engineering achievement of the 20th Century. And no wonder – or perhaps it is a wonder. But I certainly endorse the academy’s choice.
Just take a moment to think of the ways electricity has improved your life. The number of things that come to mind is colossal.
Can you envision a world in which you cook your food on an open fire, use candles to light your dwelling, and draw your water from the nearby stream before you go to bed at dark?
In West Virginia we are fortunate to have two major electrical systems serving our state. Those systems are backed up by a regional transmission system that allows us to share electric power generated and transmitted through 13 states and the District of Columbia.
While we are discomforted at times by storms that down power lines, it is rare that any of us is out of electric power for a very long period of time. We do not suffer the electric brownouts or blackouts that plague so many urban landscapes in the United States because the supply of power cannot keep up with their heavy demands.
While our power sources are not perfect, I would put them up against just about any other system in the nation. I think for reliability our power companies, backed by the regional grid, generally provide a good product.
So, as you drive around and see the colorful, twinkling lights that make this season so delightful, give a thought to that magical power that is so helpful to all of us and makes such a difference in our lives.
