Energy · 1891

Three-phase transmission

A 175 km line from Lauffen to Frankfurt proves long-distance AC.

In 1891 Mikhail Dolivo-Dobrovolsky and Oskar von Miller sent three-phase power 175 km at 15 kV to the Frankfurt Electrotechnical Exhibition, at about 75% efficiency. Three-phase became the global standard for generation and transmission.

See it in the living tree Wikipedia

Arcs above join it to what it stood on, arcs below to what it led to. The bar places this stretch on the tree's whole timeline.

What it built on 2

AC induction motor 1888
Transformer 1885

What it led to 2

Niagara Falls power plant 1895
National grid 1933

Related measurements

The dashed line marks when it first worked.

UK electricity output since 1896 Latest: 3.57M MWh (1998) Source: Our World in Data

World electricity generation Latest: 31.8k TWh (2025) Source: Our World in Data