In 1882, Edison Illuminating Company’s first electric power station began operating.
At 3 p.m. on that day, the Pearl Street electric power station successfully turned on the lights in a one square mile area of New York City. It was now possible for homes and businesses to purchase electric light at a price that could compete with gas. Pearl Street became the model that led the way for electrification in cities and towns across the United States. Today, Edison Illuminating Company is known as Consolidated Edison (Con Edison).
Learn more at http://www.coned.com/history/electricity.asp.
