Although I managed to maneuver the plug’s prongs into the extension’s outlet, a spark of electricity briefly illuminated the night, and I dropped the two cords in alarm without completing the connection. But we didn’t hear them fall to the ground, and I realized that they were linked and hanging somewhere in the darkness before me.

I went groping for them and closed my right hand directly on the bare prongs. A wave of power surged through my body, I saw more light than I had ever seen, and I screamed. Another wave and light. I screamed again. A third time. I screamed and collapsed, breaking the circuit.

“Living off the grid” was the norm, since the grid did not come to Scipio until about the early 1940′s. An early bill features a picture of Reddy Kilowatt and a cost of $2.50 for a month’s service for a house on the then Lake Road — now Wyckoff Road.
And electricity meant that the old hand pump wells could be replaced by a cistern or a dug well. To just turn on a faucet and draw the water you needed instead of pumping and bringing pails full to the house must have been a huge improvement and timesaver.

Today, Con Edison will end 125 years of direct current electricity service that began when Thomas Edison opened his Pearl Street power station on Sept. 4, 1882. Con Ed will now only provide alternating current, in a final, vestigial triumph by Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse, Mr. Edison’s rivals who were the main proponents of alternating current in the AC/DC debates of the turn of the 20th century.

Now Reddy, while you were back in the storage shed hibernating, one of your distributors, Xcel Energy in Colorado, was trying to make things better by upgrading some of those transmission towers over there just west of the Platte. You remember? Ok, Well, part of that route goes through Ruby Hill Park, you know, that old Indian lookout?

Well, some of the folks who live there kinda wanted you to improve the situation while you were at it, and, you know, put the lines underground? Expensive you say? Hey come on Reddy, give us a break here.

Six months ago, a friend pressed on me a six-pack of compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. Odd little pig-tail curls, but they fit in standard light bulb places. He’s a retired electrician, so I listened.. I followed his advice, added some aggressiveness turning off unused lights and “vampire” rechargers and “instant on” appliances. And now, I’m looking at an electric bill showing my usage is half — 50% — of what it was a year ago.

80 years ago, Alabama Power created Reddy Kilowatt, the little lightning-bolt figure, to promote electricity usage. Not surprisingly, today the electric utilities are less interested in encouraging conservation than promoting consumption, but they had the sensitivity to retire Reddy Kilowatt years ago…

Duke University computer scientists are developing a new approach to managing electric power use by computers. Their “Milly Watt” project not only promises to greatly increase the energy efficiency of computers, but alleviate the frustration of computer users who find their laptops or desktops abruptly shutting down because of drained batteries or unwanted “decisions” by the machinesâ power management software.

“Let’s take a break from the daily grind, and just sit back and enjoy life. Life is good. And never more so then when we’re watching our old friend Reddy Kilowatt getting a little playful…”