Soviet electrification: the roads not taken

Author

Coopersmith, J.

Author_Institution

Dept. of History, Texas A&M Univ., College Station, TX, USA

Volume

12

Issue

2

fYear

1993

Firstpage

13

Lastpage

20

Abstract

Drawing on material presented in greater detail in his book The Electrification of Russia, 1880-1926 (1992), the author discusses the history of electrification in Russia and details the formation of the State Committee for the Electrification of Russia (GOELRO). GOELRO´s plan for using a network of regional stations controlled by the Soviet government is described. A discussion on why the Soviet state favored large-scale electrification instead of alternatives that promised more immediate economic and social returns is given. GOLERO´s aim to use technology to transform a backward country into a modern, Communist state is also discussed.<>

Keywords

electricity supply industry; government policies; history; power systems; Communist state; GOELRO; Soviet government; State Committee for the Electrification of Russia; electrification; history; large-scale electrification; regional stations; Capacity planning; Centralized control; Electrical engineering; Government; History; Power engineering and energy; Power generation; Power generation economics; Proposals; Societies;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Technology and Society Magazine, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0278-0097

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/44.216772

Filename

216772