Photo of Thomas Edison with electric car
"I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait till oil and coal run out before we tackle that." - Thomas Edison
We thought that was kind of funny thing to say at the time. Especially from the guy who invented the wasteful incandescent light bulb. Sheesh.
Just before he passed away in 1931, Edison said the above quote to automobile titans Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone. And here we are, flirting with disaster, “peak oil” and finally coming to terms with alternative energy.
But what’s really remarkable about Edison is you can go back earlier for evidence of the first green initiatives. Today, buildings are responsible for more than a third of energy consumption in the United States yet he recognized in 1901 they would need alternative sources, writing in an article for the Atlantic Constitution, “With a windmill coupled to a small electric generator,” a rural inhabitant “could bottle up enough current to give him light at night.”
In the same article, Edison discussed with Ford the possibility of electric automobiles. The primary goal was to make them affordable and practical as Ford’s Model-T. His plan: Drivers recharge their batteries at plug-in sites along trolley lines. (Another method he described to recharge batteries were those crazy windmills!)
In 1912, Edison actually presented a New Jersey home that was off the grid, touting it as the “Twentieth Century Suburban Residence.” What happened? The idea of homes powering themselves with renewable resources was too frightening for emerging power companies; the home was quickly plugged in and the idea was lambasted as nothing more than an experiment.
Energy independence was bad for business. Like Edison said, shame we waited to put our money on the sun.
The DTE blog is committed to reporting and sharing environmental news and sustainability information from across the Inland Northwest.
Photo of Thomas Edison with electric car
"I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait till oil and coal run out before we tackle that." - Thomas Edison
We thought that was kind of funny thing to say at the time. Especially from the guy who invented the wasteful incandescent light bulb. Sheesh.
Just before he passed away in 1931, Edison said the above quote to automobile titans Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone. And here we are, flirting with disaster, “peak oil” and finally coming to terms with alternative energy.
But what’s really remarkable about Edison is you can go back earlier for evidence of the first green initiatives. Today, buildings are responsible for more than a third of energy consumption in the United States yet he recognized in 1901 they would need alternative sources, writing in an article for the Atlantic Constitution, “With a windmill coupled to a small electric generator,” a rural inhabitant “could bottle up enough current to give him light at night.”
In the same article, Edison discussed with Ford the possibility of electric automobiles. The primary goal was to make them affordable and practical as Ford’s Model-T. His plan: Drivers recharge their batteries at plug-in sites along trolley lines. (Another method he described to recharge batteries were those crazy windmills!)
In 1912, Edison actually presented a New Jersey home that was off the grid, touting it as the “Twentieth Century Suburban Residence.” What happened? The idea of homes powering themselves with renewable resources was too frightening for emerging power companies; the home was quickly plugged in and the idea was lambasted as nothing more than an experiment.
Energy independence was bad for business. Like Edison said, shame we waited to put our money on the sun.
