United States. Banker Edward Dean Adams (formerly head of the Cataract Construction Company in Niagara), after hearing opinions on electrical power transmission from the British, Germans, and Swiss, formed the International Niagara Commission, which held a contest to determine the best method for extracting and distributing electrical energy from the falls. The contest was extended to 28 nations worldwide, including several American companies and participants. Edison (obviously) considered using direct current (DC), while Westinghouse (before consulting with Tesla) considered using compressed air pipes to transmit the power. Adams opted for electric current. The (newly formed) General Electric (with Edison) then proposed DC for Niagara and AC for Buffalo (more distant) in 1892. Finally, in January 1893, Westinghouse (finally) decided to enforce his (Tesla’s) patents for three-phase AC motors and generators.
