Approximately how far did Edison's initial Direct Current power distribution extend from the Pearl Street Station?
Answer
A roughly one-mile radius
The early system deployed by Thomas Edison starting in 1882 at the Pearl Street Station was extremely localized due to the limitations inherent in distributing Direct Current (DC) power without voltage transformation. The initial infrastructure utilized underground copper conductors to distribute the low-voltage DC current only to customers located within a tight perimeter defined as roughly a one-mile radius surrounding the central power plant. This geographical constraint meant that the service area was highly concentrated, serving only a small district of customers before the voltage dropped too significantly or transmission losses became unacceptable.
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