Chapter 272 Light up the whole city
When George was young, he also passed the second grade.
But as he grew older, George's views on some things changed.
The world is not black and white. Most of the time, the background color of the world is gray.
So what George is doing now is to give those young people a new choice so that they are no longer confused and let them know what they should do.
Of course, if someone still throws a bomb at the Czar's carriage after George has done this, George will never show mercy.
While George was in St. Petersburg, the United States decided to hold the "World's Columbian Exposition" in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus's discovery of the New World.
This expo had nothing to do with George originally, but the organizing committee decided to use artificial lighting at this expo, so George keenly noticed that this was the best opportunity to bring alternating current to the market.
Two months ago, Nikola once again improved the structure of the AC generator. The new machine is smaller, more powerful, more stable in operation, and has greater advantages than Edison's DC.
George immediately sent a telegram to Mikhail, asking Mikhail to allow the organizing committee to use alternating current for lighting at all costs.
Mikhail's call back to George was not promising.
At the St. Petersburg Exposition, alternating current became a sensation, making Edison feel the threat of alternating current.
Compared with Edison's DC power, AC power has greater advantages in long-distance transmission, higher voltage, smaller losses, low investment, and cheaper electricity prices.
At the St. Petersburg Exposition, George and Edison reached an agreement that alternating current and direct current did not infringe each other, and both could be sold on the market.
After returning to the United States, Edison began to attack alternating current.
Edison first wrote a "Beware" pamphlet to remind people that alternating current is not safe.
To prove the dangers of alternating current, Edison used alternating current to shock animals. He even electrocuted an elephant.
In March last year, Edison bribed officials of the New York State Prison to send an iron chair that could be electrified into the New York Prison and publicly executed a death row inmate.
In order to expand his influence, Edison invited reporters to publicly report on electrocution. Many people were frightened by the prisoners' miserable conditions, and AC power became unpopular for a while.
George then understood why AC had been around for a year, but its sales in the US market were extremely bleak.
Since Edison didn't talk about martial arts, George was no longer polite.
Promote it.
In this era, if George considers himself second, then no one would dare to consider himself first.
What is the biggest drawback of DC?
Cost!
Compared with direct current, although alternating current is dangerous, as long as it is operated according to standards, there is naturally no danger at all.
Edison not only sold his DC generator, but also paid royalties to Edison when users used DC power.
George did not get entangled with Edison and sent a telegram directly to Mikhail, asking Mikhail to give up the patent fees for alternating current and concentrate on selling generators.
Edison's direct current electricity price is $2.50 per kilowatt hour.
After George gave up the patent fees, the electricity cost of AC dropped to only about 1 US dollar, and Edison's DC was simply unable to compete with it.
At the Chicago World's Fair, if George's alternating current system was used, only ten generators would be needed to light 96,000 light bulbs.
Each of Edison's generators could only light about 4,000 light bulbs, which was a huge difference.
At the same time, Edison's DC power lost too much during long-distance transmission, so Edison had to build a power station every kilometer to provide power to more users.
Alternating current does not have to be so troublesome. The power station does not even need to be built in the center of the city. As long as the power is sufficient, it can provide power supply to the entire city.
This is especially important for a big city like Chicago.
In big cities like Chicago and New York, where land is at a premium, it is simply impossible to build a power station per kilometer. In that case, the cost of electricity would be unbearable.
The Chicago Exposition will not be held until 1893. Before that, George will build two power stations in Vladivostok and St. Petersburg at the same time to provide power supply to these two cities.
"Light up the whole city? Are you kidding me!" Nicholas thought this was impossible.
Although Gatchina Palace has now used George's AC system, Nicholas does not believe that George has the ability to provide power supply to the entire St. Petersburg.
"Give me one million rubles and I'll let you take one share."
George borrowed chickens to lay eggs and didn't want to spend a single kopeck.
Power supply is a long-term big business, and it can’t be overstated to describe it as a huge profit.
If George releases this news, people who want to invest in George will crush the threshold of the Yekaterin Palace.
Lighting up St. Petersburg and Vladivostok is just the first step.
Next, in Paris, London, Berlin, and so on, in all European cities, if you want to use electric lights, you have to queue up to pay for it with George.
So don’t talk about one dollar per kilowatt hour.
Even if it costs 10 cents, as long as George builds enough power stations, he will become the richest man in the world sooner or later.
“How much does it cost you to build a power station?”
Nicola is not stingy, he just wants to know how much George can earn.
"About 100,000 rubles."
The alternating current generator is produced in Vladivostok. How much it will cost is not a matter of George's words.
“But if you want to spread wires all over the city, you will need at least 1 million rubles.”
George said this is too little.
Building a power station is easy, but laying lines is very difficult.
St. Petersburg has long winters, and if power lines are laid on the ground, they can easily be broken by heavy snow during the winter.
So it is more suitable to lay the wires underground.
But if the wires are laid underground, more costs will be added.
So 1 million rubles is just an estimate.
If it is Vladivostok, it will be much more convenient.
There is a subway underground in Vladivostok, and wires can be laid along the subway lines. This will lower the cost and be more conducive to the promotion of electric lights.
However, the oil company's business will be affected.
Petroleum products these days are mainly lighting.
If George promotes alternating current, the sales of lamp oil will be affected.
This problem is also easy to solve.
George's Siberian Electric Company can accept Yusupova's investment, which will share the cost on the one hand and prevent Yusupova from being too resistant to electric lights on the other.
If you want to build a power station in the United States, just bring Rockefeller along with you.
European countries don’t have to worry.
Now there is not even a decent oil company in Europe.
Otherwise Rockefeller would have developed so fast.
(End of this chapter)