1882 · Milestone
Pearl Street Station — first U.S. commercial central station
Thomas Edison's coal-fired Pearl Street Station in New York City began supplying electricity for household lighting—often cited as the first commercial central power station.
Reconciliation note: Separate from Appleton hydro (1882), which first sold hydroelectricity to the public.
Historical era
Wood economy (1776–1884)
Wood was the largest U.S. energy source for heating, cooking, and early industry until coal surpassed it in the late 1800s.