Drought Hits Hydro Generation

In the early 1900s, Southern California Edison was in the natural gas utility business. However, electricity was cheaper, cleaner and more efficient than gas at the time. The company began selling its gas properties in 1907. Most of the plants were sold to Southern Counties Gas Company...

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 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...