When did New York start using electricity?

New York City began using electricity for street lighting in 1880, when the first electric street lights were installed on Pearl Street in Lower Manhattan. These early electric street lights were powered by a direct current (DC) generator that was located in the basement of a nearby building. The first commercial use of electricity in New York City occurred in 1882, when the Edison Electric Illuminating Company began providing electric power to customers in the city's financial district. The company used a DC generating system that was similar to the one that was used for the street lights. By the end of the 1880s, there were several electric power plants in operation in New York City, and electricity was being used for a variety of purposes, including street lighting, commercial lighting, and industrial power.