Reading up books: Analysis of electric power systems: A discussion of the evolution of power systems analysis tools is followed by a review of several texts, ranging from the better-known to the more obscure

Thomas Edison´s Pearl Street Station in New York City, in 1882, became America´s first power system, serving customers located near its direct current (dc) generators. The technology of these systems limited service to a few miles at most but gave way within a few decades to the alternating current (ac) systems that persist today. AC systems allow electric power to be transmitted and distributed over much longer distances. Voltage levels can be stepped up or down at key places to reduce loss in transmission and distribution and to regulate the voltage for the user. From the earliest years of practical electric devices, efforts have been made to analyze and control the behavior of these generation, transmission, and distribution systems through detailed load flow, fault, and stability studies. While these analysis tools have been used primarily for planning and design, their role today in the control and operation of electric power systems is increasing.