Water Power over a Century

Early water-power projects in the United States were mostly in New England, where the product could be used by mills on the site. About 1850 came a new development or extension—a number of factories began to use a larger source of power, locally and cooperatively. Still there was no convenient method of transmitting the energy, so steam power—a new giant—almost preempted the field. The next or last phase began around 1900, with the introduction of electrical transmission. Today this serves both water and thermal power; it has permitted the hydro plant to attain a major stage of development. Central stations have become the key of the industry, with government units of growing importance.