What power source technology marked a major evolutionary step over reciprocating engines in central utility stations?
Answer
The development of the steam turbine
As the electric utility industry matured beyond the initial push for lighting and began to serve growing industrial and residential power demands, the generation technology had to evolve for greater output and efficiency. The transition from older reciprocating engines to the steam turbine represented a significant technological leap for central utility stations. Steam turbines could produce substantially higher efficiency and greater overall power output than the engines they replaced. This allowed utilities to continually invest in larger, more capable generation hubs, shifting the economic focus toward maximizing the capacity of the central generation equipment.
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