The next phase of shrinkflation: rolling blackouts
James Hickman
July 9, 2026
The lights went on at approximately 3pm on September 4, 1882 in New York City. Thomas Edison (with major funding from JP Morgan) had spent roughly two years building the first-ever commercial power plant, located in Manhattan’s financial district. Its total capacity was about 600 kilowatts… barely enough to power a single rack
