Or to put it another way, an electric grid’s most significant point of appeal is its ability to make and reliably transmit standardized power—not for us, we are fine to get the candles out of the closet if the lights grow too dim. Our machines, the true customers of the electric age, are not so forgiving. Sagging voltage will tear a power plant to bits in minutes as all the tiny ball bearings that make that plant work quickly build up enough heat to destroy every motor and pulley system in the place. Less dramatically, a decrease in voltage will cause bulbs to dim, and the second hand on
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