Superpower: Regional Coordination a Century Ago [History]

Presently, the future of electric power generation, transmission, and distribution in the United States is a topic of much discussion, as the ownership and operation of each is separated, unlike the unified operation that was common in the 20th century. A similar debate a century ago was triggered by a proposal for unified operation in the eastern and northeastern states that was driven by the stresses of World War I on the nation’s power, railroads, and coal supply. War traffic brought railroad operations close to collapse and their operation was placed under a new agency, the U.S. Railway Administration. Coal “surcharges” were imposed on electric rates while “heatless” days were observed. Urban transit lines suspended heat on cars to reduce electrical load to conserve coal.