What fundamental limitation forced Edison's DC model to require frequent power stations?
Transmitting power lost significant energy as heat over distance.
The primary technical weakness inherent in Direct Current (DC) transmission over distance was substantial energy loss, manifested as heat dissipation, as the current traveled away from the source. Because of this physical limitation related to voltage behavior across distance, the DC distribution model necessitated the construction of numerous, localized power stations. To serve a sprawling urban environment effectively under the DC paradigm, a new power station would need to be installed approximately every few square miles. This requirement made scaling the infrastructure extremely challenging both economically, due to the high capital cost of redundant generation facilities, and logistically complicated.
