For transmitting power, alternating current is more effective than direct current. But this was not always the case. Just over 100 years ago, they were rival technologies. Alternating current supporters included George Westinghouse, while Thomas Edison was among those backing direct current. This was the dawning of the age of electricity and American industrialists were seeking the best and cheapest way to bring this new energy from the power station to manufacturing plants. In 1887, Nikola Tesla bolstered the cause for alternating current by developing the first practical system for generating and transmitting alternating current.