What if electricity had never existed?

Imagine a world without electricity. No light bulbs, no telegraphs – just human ingenuity powered by steam, mechanics and chemistry. How would civilization function?

Our modern world could thrive without a single electron. Cities would glow with sophisticated gas lighting and advanced kerosene lamps. Homes would use sophisticated mechanical washing machines and gas refrigerators, and food would be cooked on biogas stoves.

Mechanical engineering would excel in hydraulics and pneumatics, creating elegant, massive machines. Transportation would rely on advanced steam locomotives, majestic airships and cars powered by steam or biofuel. Mechanical trams would crisscross cities, moving along cables or pneumatic systems.

Communication? Forget about smartphones. It would be a complex dance of pigeon post, optical telegraph, and pneumatic post. Vast information bureaus with mechanical databases and ubiquitous printed materials would act as the Internet. Energy would switch to wind and geothermal energy. Windmills would be monumental, directly converting wind into mechanical energy for mills, pumps, or compressed air. Water would flow through powerful steam pumps and gravity, and wastewater would flow down tricky slopes.

Here, oil and gas would be vital, not for electricity but for steam engines, lighting, and chemical synthesis. Mechanics, hydraulic engineers, and chemists would be paramount. Amusement rides would use gravity, steam, and muscle. The financial system would rely on gold, silver, and resource-backed currencies, not bitcoins.

A Critical Lesson for Our Future

This alternative world holds vital lessons. Our complete dependence on electricity creates huge risks: price manipulation and dependence on one unstable source.
Even with electricity, we cannot rely on it alone! We desperately need alternative, non-electric solutions. Why?

Direct wind heat pumps are not science fiction. They are real, potentially 42% more efficient than any wind turbine. They convert the mechanical energy of the wind directly into heat for heating, offering a decentralized, independent solution.
Biogas plants paired with mechanical heat pumps offer another powerful alternative. Biogas from organic waste can power furnaces and cars, competing with electric vehicles. Imagine animal waste heating your home and fueling your car. This creates a cyclical, independent and green energy system.

Only by encouraging competition with electricity can we control energy prices, secure supply and prevent grid failures. Energy diversity is our greatest insurance.

Embrace the power of choice!

Will we remain trapped in one energy paradigm? Or, inspired by a world without electricity, will we look beyond to build a more sustainable, independent, and equitable energy future? The choice is ours! Let’s diversify our energy without allowing any manipulation of our comfort or well-being.