Remembering the Roots for the Sake of the Future

The eminent electrical engineer Jack Casazza gave the opening address at the 2007 IEEE Conference on the History of Electric Power under the title "Forgotten Roots". This paper discusses the importance of remember the roots and knowing the history of electrical engineering, both for the engineers and the general public, in order to plan and establish a better society in the 21^st century. The "Repeat Model" created for historical analysis suggests that both power systems and social systems in the 21^st century be planned through dialog between engineers and the general public so that the ubiquitous power needs be met in an energy-saving and environmentally-responsible way. It is vital that technical societies, such as the IEEJ and the IEEE, take part in this dialog.