Electric Inventions Make Farm Life Easier

In 1907, the Kern River 75-kV transmission line was constructed to bring electricity from the Kern River Hydro Plant to Southern California. It was the highest voltage transmission line in the nation at the time, and gained attention for being the first...

Orville Ensign, an engineer at Edison Electric Company, which became Southern California Edison in 1909, invented the porcelain insulator. It replaced glass designs that were originally built for telegraph lines, but unable to support heavier electric...

In 1910, the Pacific Power Company, a Southern California Edison predecessor, was organized to provide electric service to several mining camps. The Jordan Plant was constructed and began powering the towns of Aurora, Rawhide and Bodie in 1911. Two...