<P> The War of Currents ( sometimes called War of the Currents or Battle of Currents ) was a format war involving the introduction of competing electric power transmission systems in the late 1880s and early 1890s . It included commercial competition , a debate over electrical safety , and a media / propaganda campaign that grew out of it , with the main players being the direct current ( DC ) based Edison Electric Light Company and the alternating current ( AC ) based Westinghouse Electric Company . It took place during the introduction and rapid expansion of the alternating current standard ( already in use and advocated by several US and European companies ) and its eventual adoption over the direct current distribution system . Three aspects have been conflated into the `` war '' : open competition involving large electric companies and their developing systems , a general fear in the public 's mind of death by accidental electrocution from high voltage AC leading to a debate over its safety and regulation , and the debate and behind - the - scene maneuvers associated with the introduction of the electric chair . </P>
<P> The War of Currents ( sometimes called War of the Currents or Battle of Currents ) was a format war involving the introduction of competing electric power transmission systems in the late 1880s and early 1890s . It included commercial competition , a debate over electrical safety , and a media / propaganda campaign that grew out of it , with the main players being the direct current ( DC ) based Edison Electric Light Company and the alternating current ( AC ) based Westinghouse Electric Company . It took place during the introduction and rapid expansion of the alternating current standard ( already in use and advocated by several US and European companies ) and its eventual adoption over the direct current distribution system . Three aspects have been conflated into the `` war '' : open competition involving large electric companies and their developing systems , a general fear in the public 's mind of death by accidental electrocution from high voltage AC leading to a debate over its safety and regulation , and the debate and behind - the - scene maneuvers associated with the introduction of the electric chair . </P>
who discovered the advantages of ac over dc
who discovered the advantages of ac over dc
Westinghouse Electric Company
Westinghouse Electric Company