Remarkable changes have occurred in the utility industry since Thomas Edison began the commercial sale of electricity more than 100 years ago. One area that has undergone extensive change has been in the types of conductors available to transmit and distribute electricity. Copper was the first metal used to transmit electricity during the development of the electrical industry in the early 1880's. A review of the selection criteria for transmission and distribution conductors, prior to the extensive use of aluminum, suggests copper conductor sizes were being determined primarily on the basis of mechanical considerations because of the disproportional high conductivity of copper relative to its strength-to-weight ratio. Conductors were, therefore, generally larger than required from the standpoint of efficient electrical conductivity. Because of the weight, span lengths were short, thus increasing the overall cost of the transmission line.
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